


My Favorite Wife

by Ashlanielle



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Family, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-29
Updated: 2015-04-04
Packaged: 2018-03-20 07:24:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 36,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3641691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ashlanielle/pseuds/Ashlanielle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's been three years since James Arden tragically lost his wife and the love of his life, Rose. When he arrives at his honeymoon destination with his new wife, Reinette, James comes face to face with the last person he ever expected...someone he thought was lost forever--Rose!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Based on Cary Grant's "My Favorite Wife," one of my favorite movies!

She didn't want to go. If it wasn't an absolute necessity, she wouldn't even think of leaving home, leaving her family. They were her anchor during this difficult time, keeping her from drifting off into her sorrow. And her precious girls—they were still so little, always doing something new and brilliant. Just the thought of leaving them, even though it was just for a short time, was breaking her heart. But she realized that there wasn't a choice in this matter, and therefore, she finally began packing for her early morning flight.

"Rose? Love, are you crying?" 

She turned around at the unexpected sound of her husband's voice and saw him leaning against the doorframe, concern deeply etched in his features. At his question, she lightly touched her cheek and realized that she had indeed been crying.

"I guess so. I hadn't notice. My mind's been...elsewhere," she said softly. She went to turn back to her packing, but at a sudden thought, she stopped and looked at him. "What are y'doin' home? Don't you have rounds?" she asked, her brow furrowed in confusion. His suit jacket was gone, his shirt sleeves were rolled up, and his tie was loosened. Clearly, he wasn't going to the hospital dressed like that.

He walked over to her and encircled her waist. "Made a couple of the residents do them. They love it. Not one of them said no!"

"And the fact _you’re_ the attending and they had no choice but to say 'yes' had nothin' to do with it, yeah?" she said, looking up at him and giving an amused smirk.

He looked up in pseudo contemplation and smiled. "Weelll, maybe a little. It is rather nice they have to do my bidding. Dance puppets, dance," he said moving an arm to the side to manipulate his imaginary marionettes. He moved his arm back around her waist again and looked down at her, his gaze warm and loving. "No, I told them I needed to be home with you. They had no complaints after that."

She kissed him gently and then buried her face in his chest. She always found comfort in his embrace. After a pause, he continued, "I could go with you, you know. Zoe and Sarah could stay with Donna. I know she wouldn't mind."

"I know she wouldn't. But she's just started that new job and it's not fair to make her ask for time off. I'm sure they wouldn't think too highly of her asking after only two weeks working there. And even though I'd love nothing more than for you to come with me, I don’t want the girls to be without both of us. They’re still so little,” she said, still buried in his chest.

He felt his shirt start to become wet and realized she must be crying again. He pulled her slightly back from him and looked into her reddened eyes, tears slowly yet steadily streaming down her face. He removed his arms from her waist and cupped her face, wiping her tears with his thumbs. He kissed her forehead and then smiled softly at her.

“It’ll be alright, love. You’ll only be gone a few days and we’ll be right here waiting for you when you get back.”

“Promise?” she said, searching his eyes.

He leant forward and kissed her soundly. When they parted, he gazed at her and gave her one of his, what she called, “boyish” smiles—the one that made her insides flutter like mad. 

“Promise.”

***

_Three Years Later_

Judge Henry Saunders had been presiding over the bench for twenty-seven years. While initially he had been anxious to beget change and excited about his new post, he started losing interest around year eleven. His cases were often mundane and seemed to come in droves daily. He never had anything new or interesting to report back to his wife, Sally—a fact she complained of often and much to his annoyance. Her grumblings from the previous night had left him in cantankerous mood; a mood which was augmented by the more than usually ridiculous cases he’d heard that day and a lovely little kidney stone that was currently and painfully trying to pass through his body. 

His clerk stood and announced the next item on the docket—a case involving a Rose Tyler Arden. Saunders didn’t quite hear the complete description due to a sudden sharp pain to his lower back which he knew to be the work of that pesky stone. He grimaced and took a sip of cranberry juice.

_Blasted lil’ bugger!_

A fairly young man stood up from the galley and attempted to approach the bench, but the attractive blonde next to him still had ahold of his hand. The man gave her a smile that, while genuine, didn’t quite reach his eyes. She relinquished his hand, and the man came forward. Saunders made a brief study of him—mid-thirties, tall, unruly hair that young women probably found attractive, but to him just appeared unkempt. He was wearing a pinstriped suit, so obviously a professional, but…were those trainers? Saunders felt himself grumble in irritation. When the man reached the bench, the clerk began to speak.

“This case is regarding the matter of the disappearance of one Rose Marion Arden nee Tyler. Present is her husband, James Ian Arden.” 

As he finished, the clerk laid a brief before the judge. He began to flip through the pages, trying to refresh his memory of the case. He only remembered snippets—young mother, boat wreck, but nothing else. He cleared his throat and addressed the man.

“So Mr. Arden…what brings you into my courtroom today?” he asked, choosing to forego reading the brief.

James’ eyes widened slightly and then flitted over to the clerk, who appeared somewhat flustered over the judge’s ill-preparedness. He leaned forward and began whispering in the judge’s ear. 

“What? ... Dead? ... Who’s dead?” he said looking up at the nervous clerk. James coughed uncomfortably and turned his gaze towards the side. The clerk quickly whispered again. Saunders turned his attention forwards to the man in front of him. “Oh…that’s sad. Very sad.” 

James turned his gaze back towards the judge and gave a tight uncomfortable smile. 

The judge looked over the brief a little more carefully this time, reading parts aloud. “Rose Arden…small charter boat in the pacific……storm…..only wreckage found…,” he said and then clearing his throat, continued, “so…before we proceed, tell me Mr. Arden—what was your wife, a young mother, doing in a boat thousands of miles away from her family?”

James bristled at the judge’s tone and became defensive. “She wasn’t being negligent if that’s what you’re implying. And it’s Doctor.”

Judge Saunders cocked an eyebrow. “Pardon?”

James straightened his stance. “It’s _Doctor_ Arden.”

At another flare of pain and James’ insubordination, Saunders’ brow furrowed in anger and his tone became harsh. “In my courtroom, I will call you what I wish, _Mister_ Arden. And you will address _me_ as ‘your Honor.’ Understood?”

James flickered his eyes away for an instant and then turned back to the judge. “Yes, your Honor.”

Saunders grumbled again. “So, explain your wife’s actions to the court.”

“Weelll, _your Honor_ , as it says in the brief, my wife went to scatter her grandfather’s ashes in the Pacific. He had served in WWII and it was his wish to have them scattered there.”

“And why was his granddaughter scattering his ashes?”

James was doing a remarkable job keeping his temper in check, but the haughtier and more challenging the judge became, the more difficult he found it. His jaw tightened but he managed to answer, “My wife was raised by her grandfather. Her parents died when she was still an infant and they were each other’s only family. I offered to go with her but, being the _excellent_ mother she was, she insisted I stay with the girls. Not long after she arrived there, I received word that the boat she had chartered had been caught in a storm and they were unable to locate it. I went there immediately and helped search for her for weeks. All that we managed…,” he swallowed in an effort to control his emotions at the recollection, “managed to find were some broken pieces of the boat.”

After hearing the account, Judge Saunders felt his attitude towards the young man soften. He cleared his throat and turned his attention back to the brief before him, verifying various facts. After a brief period of silence, he turned his attention back to the man before him. 

“After seeing due diligence has been done, I have no choice but to declare Rose Marion Arden legally dead,” he said, punctuating his judgment with the sound of the gavel. He then looked through the other papers on his desk, looking for his schedule. Something clicked in his mind and he turned to his clerk. 

“Wasn’t I supposed to marry someone today? And on a Monday, too! Who gets married on a Monday?”

“That would be me your Honor," he heard James Arden say. He turned back to look at the man, and saw him take the young blonde’s hand and approach the bench. 

“You want to get married?! Today?” Saunders was completely at a loss over the man’s actions. He had just seen the man choke up with emotion, and now he was getting married? He was baffled. 

“Yes, your Honor,” James confirmed, a faint quiver of uncertainty evident in his tone. 

Saunders looked between the two of them. “You sure?”

The blonde spoke up. “Jamie _is_ an adult, your Honor.”

He sized her up quickly. Average height. Blonde. Beautiful, but not in a natural way. Everything was perfectly in place. She was too made up for his taste. And something about her just rubbed him the wrong way. _Oh, I don’t like you…_

“What’s your name?” he asked sharply. 

She smiled, actually more like smirked, at him. “Reinette. Reinette Adams, your Honor.”

“Well Miss Adams—when I address you, then you can speak. Other than that, you _don’t_!”

“Yes, your Honor.”

He nodded his head with a _humph_. “Now then, Dr. Arden,” he said in a softer tone, “are you _sure_?”

James took another deep swallow. Reinette lightly elbowed him when he didn’t respond. 

“Yes, your Honor,” he said with a nod. 

Judge Saunders frowned but then sighed. “Alright. Let’s get this over with…”

***

The cab slowed to a stop in front of the house. After a brief moment, one of the doors opened and the lone passenger stepped out. Her clothes were ill-fitting and very old. Too old for her age; but she wasn’t concerned about her attire. She was utterly fixated on the house in front of her. She just stood there looking at everything—every flower, every window, the curtains, all of it. She felt the tears prickling the back of her eyes and she sniffed. 

“Y’alright, ma’am?” came the worried voice of the cabbie. 

She turned around to face him and leaned forward to speak through the window. “I’m…I’m alright. I’m just,” the tears fell but she let out a small laugh, “…just so happy to be home.” She looked at the meter and patted her pockets frantically, worry written all over her face.

The elderly cabbie shook his head and smiled. “Don’t worry ‘bout it, ma’am. S’mthin’ tells me you’ve been waitin’ for this for a while. G’on home.”

She gave him another wet smile and waved as he drove off. Turning around, she took one last look at the house and began her slow ascent up the steps. 

***

Donna was trying to make the house “special” for Reinette—James’ words, not hers. If it was up to her, Donna would haven chosen to keep Reinette outside on a leash—food and water optional. James had given her a list of Reinette’s “Can’t Haves” and preferences. She had to make sure that the pillows were goose feather because Reinette “can’t have” ones with stuffing. She had to make sure the blankets weren’t “scratchy” and that the sheets on the bed were 1500ct, because anything less “irritates her skin.” And those were just the first few items on the list. 

_How does he expect me to do all of this nonsense AND take care of five year-old twins?_

She was too preoccupied silently arguing with James and trying to complete the ridiculous list he’d given her that she didn’t hear the door open or the woman walk into the room. She had her hands full with toys when she heard a voice from behind her.

“Hey, Red…”

Donna’s eyes widened when she heard that voice—a voice that she was sure she’d never hear again. Slowly, she turned around and her eyes were met with two familiar hazel ones. The toys fell to the floor and her jaw dropped. Tears came to her eyes as she spoke.

“…Rose?”


	2. Chapter 2

Donna continued to stare at Rose for what seemed like ages. In actuality, it was only about two minutes. Rose couldn’t help but smile through her tears at Donna’s gobsmacked expression. Finally, Donna came to her senses, realizing that this was definitely not a cruel dream, and rushed Rose, enveloping her in a warm yet fierce embrace. They were both bursting with love and excitement over their reunion, a reunion Donna never conceived possible. 

A few minutes into their embrace, Rose spoke up. “Donna,” she said as she patted her shoulders, “Donna, I can’t breathe. Ease up just a bit.”

Donna pulled back, tears staining her cheeks. “Oh, sorry!” she said as she quickly wiped her face. “I-I…I just…God, I can’t believe you’re really here!” she cried as she again pulled Rose into a crushing hug.

Rose tightened her embrace, equally moved and not caring anymore that it took increased effort to breathe. She couldn’t help the tears that continued to fall or the joyful giggles that broke through. She had waited so long and fought so hard to get back to them, and now she was finally here—in her living room, hugging Donna, and hopefully soon, her husband and little ones. They finally released each other. 

Rose couldn’t bear it any longer and eagerly asked, “Where’s James? Is he here?” 

Donna felt a sick feeling brew within her at the mention of James. She had been so overcome with emotion at seeing Rose that she had completely forgotten about James. Now she was called back to reality and rapidly trying to determine what to tell Rose. 

Fortunately for her, Rose jumped topics and asked, “What about Zo Zo and Sarah? Where are they? There here, yeah?”

Donna chose to sidestep the question about James’ whereabouts and focus on the girls. “They’re upstairs having a kip.” 

Before Donna could even finish her sentence, Rose was sprinting up the stairs to their room. Donna rushed after her. When she reached the girls’ room, she saw Rose standing at the door with her hand on the knob, but not making a move to open it. Donna walked over and stood beside her. Tears spilled through Rose’s tightly closed eyelids and she nervously bit her lip. Donna reached over, put her hand on top of Rose’s, and turned the knob. Slowly, Rose entered the darkened room. Though they had separate beds, the two little ones were curled up together, sound asleep. Rose knelt beside the bed and hesitantly reached out her hand, stopping briefly before she began gently stroking their soft curls. She released a rough breath and bit her lip again, refusing to allow her sobs to awaken her precious darlings. She pressed a soft kiss to each forehead before rising and exiting the room, gently pulling the door closed behind her. When she looked up, her eyes met Donna’s which were warm and sympathetic. Rose walked up to her and gave her a brief hug before pulling back again. 

“They got so big…and so beautiful. I bet they act just like James…bouncin’ off the walls and stuff.”

Donna snorted. “They take after him _and_ you…it’s a lethal combination.”

“Yeah, I’ll bet,” Rose said with a wet laugh. 

Donna took Rose’s hand and squeezed it. “Rose…wh-where have you been? How are you even here? Not that I’m complaining! Far from it! I’m thrilled—beyond thrilled but just…just at a complete loss as to how this is even _possible_.”

“Red, I’ll tell you everythin’ you wanna know but first—can I _please_ take a shower? I’ve not had a proper hot shower in years.”

“Of course,” Donna chuckled, “g’on!”

***

Rose stayed in the shower until the water ran tepid, relishing the feel of hot water on her skin again. She grabbed the terrycloth towel and wrapped it around herself as she stepped out of her en suite. She opened the closet, taking a chance that maybe some of her clothes would still be there. Of course, they weren’t there—after three years why would they be? What was there, were James’ suits and button downs. She gingerly ran her hands over them and leant forward, inhaling his scent and longing for the real thing. Realizing that she was still wrapped in a towel and dripping, she went to the door and poked her head out into the hallway.

“Donna?”

Donna stepped out of one of the end rooms. “Yeah?”

“Umm…I don’t have any clothes. I mean I have what I wore in here, but I _really_ don’t wanna put those things back on. Do ya know where I can find somethin’ to wear?”

“’Course I do! C’mon,” she said and motioned for Rose to come into the room. Rose walked in and saw Donna’s things about in the room. 

“When did you move in here?” she said, feeling guilty that Donna had given up her flat to come here. 

“A few months after you went missing. James was a complete mess and needed some help,” Donna answered as she looked through her closet for something to give to Rose. 

“Where is he anyway? Ya never answered me.” 

Donna closed her eyes and silently chided herself for mentioning James. She had hoped to put off talking about him for as long as possible. Now Donna realized she was going to have to tell her. She turned to Rose and saw her sitting on the bed.

Rose quirked an eyebrow and said knowingly, “C’mon, I can tell you’re avoiding somethin’. Don’t think I haven’t noticed there’s no pictures of me anywhere—not even in our bedroom. Or that you cleverly sidestepped my question about ‘im earlier. So spill.”

Donna let out a long sigh of resignation. “Rose…James is-…well, he’s…he’s…”

“Just say it!” Rose said, mildly frustrated and anxious for information.

“He’s married! He got married this morning,” Donna said, grimacing when she saw Rose’s shocked expression. Granted, she could have said it a little better, but honestly was there _any_ _good_ way to tell someone that their husband’s married someone else? It’s not like there’s a manual on that sort of thing.

“Oh…,” Rose said, trailing off and turning her gaze downward. “Well…I guess that’s…,” she looked up at Donna, “do I know her? Is it that woman with the water name—what was it—Lake or River? She always had a thing for ‘im. Or that chav, Christina?”

Donna shook her head and sniggered. “Lord, no! Neither of them. Though this one's not much better. He met her working at the hospital. She’s a plastic surgeon.”

Rose nodded her head as she took in this information. “She nice?”

“ _No_ ,” Donna scoffed emphatically. Rose remained silent which unsettled her. 

“Well, I guess I have no choice but to be happy for 'em.”

Donna’s jaw dropped. “You can’t be serious!”

“Don’t be daft!! Of course, I’m not serious!!” Rose said, jumping up off the bed and pacing around agitatedly. “How can this be happening?! Why couldn’t he just get a dog or somethin’?”

“Well, he kinda married one,” Donna sneered. 

“Where are they now?” Rose asked as her eyes darted upwards and locked with Donna’s.

“St. Andrews.”

Rose’s eyes widened and she shook her head. “Oh, no! _Please_ don’t tell me he’s takin’ her there! That’s _our_ spot! And he’s takin’ that—that…,” she trailed off. Suddenly, she turned around darted towards their room. She rushed into the closet and began rummaging around, clothes and shoes falling to the floor as she searched.

“Rose, what are you doing?”

“Looking for a case. We used to keep ‘em in here. Y’know where they are?” she answered as she kept focused on her search and tried to keep her towel around her. 

“He took them.”

“Oh, right. Obviously. Well, where’s yours?” Rose asked as she hurried out and into Donna’s room. 

Donna continued to follow her. “Rose, what are you gonna do?” she asked.

Rose looked up at her, her eyes fierce and determined. “What do ya think I’m gonna do? I’m gonna go get my husband back!”

***

The Gallifrey Inn had been open and operating in St. Andrews for over thirty-five years. Even though it was moderate in size and not considered as high class as others, it was still an elegant and charming hotel, and very popular with tourists. Beautifully situated near the coast, it allowed the guests to be soothed by the sounds of the North Sea. It was there that James and Rose had honeymooned. James and his family had taken many a holiday there during his childhood and it held some of his fondest memories; and he wanted to create new ones there with Rose. And the fact that Rose had never been to the seaside had decided the issue. They had spent many evenings just walking the beach or the cobbled streets, stopping at the various eclectic shops and basking in the pure bliss of being with one another. So the fact the he was taking another woman to _their_ place made Rose fume. She had every intention of voicing her anger to James—right after she drug him into the first available room and snogged him incessantly. Rose was so engrossed in _that_ image that it took the concierge three times to get her attention. 

Rose shook herself out of her rather amazing train of thought and looked at the man behind the front desk. 

“Sorry?”

The man smiled but slight annoyance was evident on his face. “How can I help you, ma’am?” he repeated.

“Oh yes, sorry! I was…never mind. I was actually trying to find someone,” she said with a nervous chuckle and hoping her blush wasn’t painfully obvious. “I was told he was staying here. His name is James Arden.”

The man typed away on his computer and studied it for a few moments before saying, “It looks like he has a reservation for two, but he hasn’t checked in yet. Are you the other guest?”

"No. I’m a…friend. A very close friend. I’ll just wait over there ‘til he comes,” she said as she gestured to the lobby. Rose was disappointed that he hadn’t yet arrived but at the same time somewhat relieved. “

“Very good, ma’am. I’ll be sure to let him know where you are when he arrives.”

“No,” she practically shouted at the man. His eyes widened, clearly surprised by her reaction. “It’s just…um…we haven’t seen each other in a long time and I wanted to-to surprise ‘im,” she said quickly, hoping her explanation was sufficient for him. 

“Of course, ma’am.”

Rose gave a relieved smile. “Thanks,” she said and then walked over to the one of the overstuffed chairs in the lobby. She nervously played with the hem of her jumper as she waited. The only thing of Donna’s that fit her were a pair of denims and a green long-sleeved jumper, which thankfully were somewhat form fitting. Even though she had lost some weight, she still had some nice curves and she definitely wanted to show them off to James; he’d always been rather… _fond_ of them. The more Rose thought of him and that woman—(she still couldn’t say wife)—the more anxious she became. She honestly didn’t have a plan for what to do when she saw him. She had been so focused on getting here and stopping…well…certain things—she couldn’t let her mind go there; it made her physically ill to do so. She began to bite her thumbnail and nervously tap her trainer clad foot on the tiled floor. After several minutes of doing so, an elderly man looked up from his paper in frustration. She saw him out of the corner of her eye and stopped her tapping.

“Sorry,” she mumbled as he turned his attention back to the article he was reading. 

The more time that passed, the more Rose felt like she would jump out of her skin. Just when she thought she was about to literally go mad from waiting, she heard his voice. She jerked her head up and her wide eyes followed him as he approached the front desk. She saw a blonde woman fawning all over him and then lean in to whisper something to him. She started laughing at whatever she had said and James joined her, though not with the same enthusiasm. Rose could immediately tell that his laugh was off. It lacked the warmth and depth she remembered. This laugh seemed almost…forced. Whatever it was, it wasn’t normal. 

The two of the approached the desk and began inaudibly speaking with the man from earlier. Rose stood up but remained frozen in place. The man behind the desk repeatedly looked her way. This caught James’ attention and he began to turn his head in her direction. Before he could see her, she dove behind one of the chairs. 

_Did I seriously just hide behind a chair?_ Rose went to look back at James and the woman, when she realized she had dived behind the elderly man’s char. He peered at her over his spectacles, eyebrows raised and clearly perplexed. 

“Hello,” she whispered and wiggled her fingers. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw movement and realized that James was heading towards the lift. She quickly got to her feet and followed, not completely aware of what she was doing. James and the woman got onto the lift, but Rose stopped several feet from it, unable to follow anymore. James looked down at the woman and smiled. As the door began to close he turned and looked forward—his gaze directly at her. She saw his eyes bug out of his head and his jaw drop as he recognized her. All she could manage to do was give a faint wave as he continued to stare at her in shock, the door finally closing on them. 


	3. Chapter Three

He had recognized her; that much was obvious. It took every ounce of willpower Rose had to not run up the stairs and meet him at his door. But she wouldn't just be seeing him—that woman would also be with him, no doubt. She didn't even know what to say to James when she met him face to face. She had thought of him every waking moment for three years–seeing his face, feeling him next to her, telling him how much she loved and needed him. And now? Now Rose was clueless as to what to say or even where to start. One thing was certain though–she had to get his attention somehow. She was running out of time and she had to get him away from that woman. Rose began to nervously fiddle with her wedding band. As she did so, an idea struck her. She saw the bellhop walk through the lobby towards the lift, dragging what she recognized as James' luggage behind him. She ran up to the young man and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned towards her, his eyebrows raised questioningly. 

"Yes, ma'am?"

Rose gave him a bright smile. "Yes...," she started and looked at his name tag, "Eric. Are you taking this luggage to the man and woman who just checked in?" 

He nodded. 

"Oh, good! I have something for you..."

***

_I’m going insane…there’s no other explanation. She’s…she’s gone. I lost her and she’s not coming back. It’s just not possible._

These and so many more thoughts rushed through James’ mind as the lift proceeded to climb upwards. It was a strange sensation to have your mind instantly go from hollow to drowning. He tried to push these crowding thoughts from his mind. He had done this very thing when he had first lost her. Every time he rounded a corner, he would imagine he had seen her. It felt as real as anything. But after countless times of being painfully wrong, James had come to the conclusion that she wasn’t coming back. The more he thought of her, the more the pain ravaged him. Even saying her name made it feel as if his heart was in a vise. Any time he referred to her, it was always as “my wife,” “your mother,” or simply just “she.” 

The lift arrived on the fifth floor and he unconsciously followed Reinette off the lift. When they stopped at Room 530, she looked up at him. He stared back, unsure why they were just standing there. She arched an impeccably groomed eyebrow at him. 

“Are you going to open the door?” 

He suddenly remembered that he had the keycard. Reaching into his inner coat pocket, he pulled out the key and tried repeatedly to open the door, finally succeeding on the fourth try. She walked in as he held the door open for her. His eyes went from the hallway to the room and he swallowed deeply before he closed the door. The realization that he was on his honeymoon made him feel oddly uncomfortable. He watched Reinette walk over to the window. There was no denying that she was attractive. Or smart. Or interesting.

_But she isn’t……her_

He shook away the thought as Reinette turned to him, smiling coyly. He returned her smile with a warm one of his own. She swayed over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. Before he could properly register what was happening, her lips were firmly attached to his. Before the situation intensified, there was an abrupt knock on the door. They separated and James answered the door to find a bellhop with their luggage. Although Reinette looked more than a little annoyed at the bellhop's sudden appearance, James felt almost relieved at the young man’s arrival. He stepped back and allowed the bellhop to enter the room. 

“I’m going to freshen up,” Reinette said irritably, stepping into the large en suite while the bellhop unloaded the luggage. 

The young man turned to James. “Excuse me, sir, but a woman downstairs found this. She said you’d lost it,” he said as he reached into his pocket, pulling out a small gold band and handing it to James. James’ eyes widened in disbelief and his hand began to tremor as he took the ring. 

_It can’t be…_

The band looked painfully familiar. It matched the one he used to wear, the one that had her promise of “ _forever_ ” engraved on it. Holding his breath, he looked on the inside of the band. He felt an insane rush of euphoria flow through him when he saw his promise of “ _always_ ” engraved on the band he now held in his hand. A brilliant smile overtook his face as he looked up at the puzzled bellhop. 

“Where is she? The woman who gave you this?” he asked eagerly. 

“In the lobby, sir.”

Without another thought, James ran out of the room. He had no patience to wait for the lift, running straight for the stairs and taking them two at a time. He threw open the door and skidded into the lobby, slightly out of breath but not caring in the least. His eyes darted to and from every face, panic and confusion rising as he continued to not see her. Then he felt it, that warm familiar presence, and he just… _knew_. Slowly, he turned around and came face to face with her. He still couldn’t believe what his eyes were seeing. He cautiously walked over to her, as if afraid one false step would shatter her perfect image. She matched his gait and in what seemed like hours, but in reality was mere seconds, they were directly in front of each other. 

He took a deep breath and said the one word he hadn’t allowed himself to say in so long.  
  
“Rose…”

Her name from his lips sent shivers down her spine. In the blink of an eye, she grabbed his lapels and desperately crashed her lips against his, moaning at the familiar and long missed contact. He didn’t waste any time and hungrily returned her kiss, all sense of reason and propriety gone as he pulled her tightly to him. They were both so engrossed in getting reacquainted, that neither of them noticed the fichus in their path until they ungracefully ran into it, causing it to crash to the ground. At the sudden sound, the couple separated, dazed and more than a little breathless. Several pairs of eyes were focused on them and the spectacle they had just caused. Realizing what had just happened, James quickly began taking handfuls of dirt off the floor and tossing them back into the planter in a rather uncoordinated and unsubtle effort to clean up. Rose tried to stifle her laugh at his attempts. Finally deciding that it was a lost cause, James stopped what he was doing and, grabbing her hand, took off outside towards the beach.

They slowed their pace as they reached the beach, their hands remaining tightly clasped. James looked over at her, his gaze intense and utterly fixated on the impossible creature beside him. Rose didn’t realize that he had stopped moving, and continued forward till she felt his hand tug on hers. She turned and looked up at him. The emotion conveyed in his eyes caused the air to flee from her lungs. This time, he was the one to capture her lips, though his approach was much more gentle by comparison. Though the kiss was definitely filled with love and longing, it was also marked with sorrow. It was as if that kiss was communicating the loss and pain both of them had felt. When they parted, both had tears brimming their eyes. 

“Hello,” Rose said softly, a few tears escaping down her cheeks.

James beamed at her. “Hello.”

She threw her arms around his neck and he lifted her up into a hug, twirling her around. It may have looked ridiculous or childish, but neither cared—they were finally together again. He slowed down and she put her feet back on the ground, trailing a hand down his arm and lacing her fingers with his. They then began to stroll along the shore silently, both completely content to just be in each other’s presence again. There was also a measure of mutual avoidance between them about why they were in this _particular_ location. 

Rose decided enough was enough and cleared her throat. “So…I understand congratulations are in order,” she said trying to keep her tone light but unable to hide the nervous and hurt edge to her voice. 

“Um…well…I guess…that is…,” James sputtered. “It’s not what you think.”

Rose raised an eyebrow at him. “No? So the grabby blonde hangin’ on you and flashin’ a wedding ring is…what—your cousin?”

“Okay,” he sighed, “maybe it _is_ what you think.”

“And you brought her _here_ for your honeymoon?”

“No! I mean, yes we’re here. And, yes it’s supposed to be our honeymoon. But _I_ didn’t choose it! She thought I would like it since I took so many holidays here. I didn’t know till today that this is what she had planned! I never told her this was where we…”

Rose tried to smile but it came out more like a grimace. There were a few beats of awkward silence before she spoke again. “She seems…”

“What?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know…blonde…”

James could see her discomfort. “Rose—,” he started. 

“What? I’m not havin’ an easy go of trying to find nice things to say about _my_ husband’s _new_ wife. Trust me—blonde is the nicest one I could come up with!”

“Rose, I didn’t just go running off with the first skirt I came across!” he defended. 

“You replaced me!” she cried, then immediately put her hand over her mouth to stifle a sob that threatened to escape. She hadn’t meant to say that, but the reality of it all hit her. James looked at her, completely startled.

“Replaced you?” he said disbelievingly. “How could you think I would ever replace you?”

Her eyes filled with tears as she shook her head. “I didn’t mean…I know that’s selfish. I don't mean I wanted you to be alone. I…I just never thought I’d actually _see_ you moved on. This whole bloody thing is…I don’t think there are even words for it!” she said, looking away in frustration.

“I didn’t move on,” he said quietly, his gaze turned downward.

She snapped her head in his direction. “What?”

He met her gaze, his eyes determined and honest. “I didn’t move on. I…adapted. I locked part of me away. But I didn’t move on, and I did _not_ replace you.”

A few tears fell as she listened to his words. She leaned forward and tenderly kissed him, smiling at him as she pulled back. He cupped her cheek, softly stroking it with his thumb. 

James cleared his throat and then said, “And I never…we didn’t…that is, she and I haven’t…”

Rose raised her eyebrows questioningly at his incomplete statement. He began to tug on his ear and then ran a hand through his hair, but still did not finish his sentence. 

“Haven’t what?”

“Umm… _jumped rope_ …,” he mumbled awkwardly.

Rose stared at him for a few moments before bursting into hysterics. 

This was not the reaction he had expected. “What’s so funny?” he asked, slightly taken aback. 

“ _That’s_ the euphemism you went with? Jump roping?” she asked, her laughter intensifying when his face hardened slightly. 

“You have something better?” 

“ _Anything_ is better than _jump roping_!” 

He crossed his arms. “Go on, then! Name one.”

“Alright… _dancing_ for one. It’s elegant and works on many levels.”

James sighed dramatically. “Fine—we haven’t _danced_. Here I am trying to tell you I’ve been faithful even when I thought you were dead, and you’re focusing on my word choice! I mean re—“

His words ended there as Rose pulled him towards her and began thoroughly snogging him, making their first kiss look like a mere peck. They pulled apart, James wide-eyed and Rose with a small satisfied smirk. 

He exhaled. “Well that was…new.”

“I’ve been savin’ up,” she giggled, wiping her bottom lip. 

He grinned brilliantly and leaned forward for another, but Rose put a finger on his lips. 

“So what are you gonna do?” 

“Weelll, I had planned on another go around…”

She bumped him playfully. “I meant about ‘what’s her name’. What _is_ her name, anyway?”

“Reinette.”

“Reinette,” she repeated, trying the name out on her tongue. It tasted foul. “So…what are you gonna do?”

He let out a deep breath. “I need to tell her.”

Rose’s eyes brightened. “Really?” she said hopefully.

“You’re surprised?” 

She cast her eyes downward and shrugged. “I don’t know…”

He lifted her chin up to meet his gaze. “I love _you_. Always have, always will.”

She smiled at his reassurance, poking a slight bit of tongue through her teeth.

His grin broadened. “God, I’ve missed that smile!”

“And I’ve missed this hair,” she said, running her fingers through his silken locks, "Among other things." He closed his eyes and hummed contentedly at her touch. She stroked his head for a few minutes before asking, “So what did you tell _Reinette_ when you left to find me?”

James’ eyes flew open at her question, wide and afraid.

“What?” Rose asked worriedly. 

“I may have forgotten to say something to her.”

“You just ran from her? And she didn’t follow after you?”

He tugged on his ear and looked at her sheepishly. “She…was…uh…in the loo.”

“So she has no idea where you are? You need to go back.”

James furrowed his brow in confusion and shock. “What?! You _want_ me to go back to her?”

“No, but the longer you're gone, the more trouble you’re gonna make for yourself with her. That ‘n ya might as well get it over with…you want me to come with you?”

He shook his head. “No. It would be best if she heard it from just me. I don’t want her to feel ganged up on.”

Rose nodded in understanding. 

“Why don’t you go ahead back home? As soon as it’s done, I’ll come straight there. I shouldn’t be far behind you.”

“Ya sure?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay,” she said shakily. She wasn’t keen on leaving him, even if she was going to see him again in a matter of hours. 

His eyes softened. He leaned forward and gave her long lingering kiss. “See you soon.”

***

After he helped Rose to a taxi, James paced throughout the lobby, mulling over how best to end things with Reinette. He did care for her and he didn’t want to hurt her needlessly. After rehearsing what to say, and receiving various perplexed looks from various passersby, he decided it was time. He went up to the room and paused outside the door, realizing he had left the keycard. Before he could even knock twice, Reinette threw the door open, her cheeks wet and eyes ablaze and silently demanding answers. 

James opened and closed his mouth several times before finally sputtering out the first few words he could put together.

“Something’s come up…”


	4. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is for the wonderful EmKayWho and LostinWho

Rose was in such a state of bliss that her trip back to London seemed like mere minutes. Though she wished James had come with her, Rose was content knowing that she would be with him again shortly. She was grateful that Donna had given her James’ credit card, because as it was, she didn’t have a penny to her name. She paid the cabbie and climbed the steps more assuredly than before, her previous trepidation almost nonexistent. But unlike last time, when she opened the door, she was instantly met with the melodious sounds of childish squeals and giggles. And just like that, all the nervousness that had seemed to dissipate just moments prior came rushing back to her at full force. She poked her head into the living room and saw the source of those precious sounds. 

Zoe and Sarah were running circles around Donna as fast as their little legs would move them, their long golden tresses flying about them. Little Zoe stepped too close to Donna and was instantly snatched up into her arms. Donna began blowing raspberries into her stomach, eliciting another chorus of squeals. Sarah began jumping up and down, trying to come to her sister’s defense. But then, little Sarah’s dark chestnut eyes caught a glimpse of Rose and she immediately ceased jumping. She began tugging on Donna’s trousers, never breaking her gaze at Rose. 

She pointed to Rose. “Aunt NaNa, who’s that?” she asked as she finally broke her gaze and looked up at Donna curiously. 

Donna looked to where Sarah was pointing and her eyes locked onto Rose. She could see the uncertainty and anxiety etched throughout Rose’s face. She gave her a warm, reassuring smile as she lowered Zoe to the ground. She took each little girl by the hand as Rose took small steps towards them. 

“That, my lovelies, is a _very_ special lady.”

Letting go of Donna’s hand, Zoe walked over to Rose and looked up at her, cocking her head to the side. “So, who are ya?”

_Just a bit rude…oh, she’s got James written all over her._

Rose smiled and knelt down so that she was almost at eye level with her. She didn’t know what to say exactly. She wanted to tell them that she was their mum, but it didn’t feel right to her for James to miss out on such a moment. 

“Weelll...”

Sarah and Zoe both giggled. Rose quirked an eyebrow and smiled. “What’s so funny?”

“That’s how Daddy sounds,” said Sarah. 

Rose’s smile broadened. “Yeah, I guess he does,” she chuckled. She decided that she could at least give a partial answer to satisfy their curiosity. “I’m a very, very good friend of your daddy’s…and your Aunt Donna.”

Both girls looked to Donna for confirmation of the fact. Donna smiled warmly and nodded her head assuredly. “It’s true. She’s your daddy’s favorite person, mine too. Except for you two girlies, of course.”

Zoe and Sarah turned back to Rose and beamed at her, who eagerly reciprocated. “Y’know what? I think we should go do somethin’ special……”

***

Forty-five minutes later, the four of them found themselves in the middle of the toy department surrounded by children of various ages and their weary parents. Shrieks, squeals, and pleading cries of “But I want it!” permeated the air. Though she was in the midst of all the chaos, Rose could think of no better place to be than there with her girls. She just stood there watching the twins dart from one new and exciting thing to the next, laughing as she saw bits of hers and James’ personalities emerge from them. Donna, on the other hand, was not as amused with their surroundings.

“Couldn’t we have just gotten them hopped up on sugar? Did we have to go to the toy department?” she asked in disdain. Just then, a boy of about ten rammed her shin with a box as he ran towards his mother. “Oi! Watch it!” Donna hollered after him.

“Look at them. They’re so… absolutely perfect,” Rose said focusing on her girls and completely ignorant of Donna and her annoyance. 

“Yes...they’re amazing,” she agreed, though not enthusiastically in light of their location. “But this place is the seventh circle of hell. Can we please just grab a toy and go? If that buggy-eyed woman asks me the price of something one more time, I’m seriously gonna lose it!”

As if on cue, said buggy-eyed woman came up to Donna with some sort of alien action figure in hand. Before she could even open her mouth, Donna's eyes flashed and she shouted, “For the last time—I **_don’t_** know! I **_don’t_** work here!”

The woman turned on her heel and stormed off. Rose burst into laughter and walked up to Zoe and Sarah. “Okay, loves…let’s pick one and go before your Aunt NaNa assaults someone.”

***

Rose excitedly searched through the racks of clothing. She had never been a materialistic person, but she was a woman—and the opportunity to pick a whole new wardrobe was naturally appealing. Zoe and Sarah were playing with their new toys on the floor near her, surrounded by the countless bags of items Rose had already purchased. Right now, Rose was searching for something special to wear for James’ arrival home. She found an emerald halter dress and held it up to her.

“Watcha think about this one?” she asked Donna. 

Donna turned her head to the side and pondered for a moment. “Nah…” 

Rose turned to put the dress back on the rack, but Donna grabbed it. “It would, however, look rather spectacular on me.”

Rose amusedly snorted and handed over the dress. “Red, focus!”

“Oh, please!” she scoffed. “Rose, you and James have been separated for three years. You could wear a paper bag and he’d still find you irresistible.”

“I just want to look special for ‘im,” Rose said with a grin, but then her expression faltered. 

Donna furrowed her eyebrows in concern. “What’s with the face?”

Rose was typically content with her appearance, but seeing Reinette on James’ arm had given her self-esteem quite a blow. “It’s just…have you seen what Reinette looks like?! She’s so…I just don’t wanna look like a plain Jane compared to her. I want ‘im to like what he sees.”

Donna snorted at that statement. Rose turned her head away, clearly put out with that reaction. Seeing Rose was genuinely in earnest, Donna reached a hand out and grabbed her arm. 

“I’m sorry, Rose. It’s just that, you don’t have anything to be worried about it. Yeah, she’s pretty…but she has to try at it. It’s not who she is. You’re you…you don’t have to try to make people like you or make yourself beautiful. It’s just who you are.”

Rose smiled, her eyes misting just a tad at Donna’s reassurance. 

Donna returned her smile, but then it morphed into a playful smirk as she said, “And from what you’ve already told me, it’s pretty obvious he liked what he saw—and you were just in jeans and a jumper!”

Rose chuckled as a blush made its way up her face. “It was rather amazing…”

“So you’ve said…multiple times.”

Rose looked away, lost in the memory. “I forgot how he used to—..." 

“Stop!” Donna instructed quickly, her face contorted in mild disgust. “I don’t _need_ or _want_ to know what my brother does or doesn’t do. Your snogging habits are _really_ _not_ my concern.” 

Rose giggled as Donna shuddered at the obvious mental image she had just envisioned.

***

“Aunt NaNa! Sarah won’t stop takin’ my chips!” Zoe complained. 

“She was drinkin’ my milkshake!” Sarah countered. 

Sarah stuck her tongue out before grabbing another chip and popping it into her mouth. Zoe retaliated by taking another long swig from the milkshake.

“Girls—share!” Donna scolded. 

“How did you meet Daddy?” Sarah suddenly asked Rose. 

Rose was slightly caught off guard at the question, but happy to recall the memory. 

“Weelll,” she drawled out purposefully, causing the girls to giggle at the mimicry, “I was in a bookstore……”

***

_Rose ran her finger along the book lined shelf. Halfway down, she saw the title she was looking for. She had finally found it—and there was only one copy. She had gone to five bookstores and they were all sold out. Apparently, six times’ a charm. She ordered a latte from the store’s in-house coffee shop and decided to take a few moments to enjoy her find. She sat down in one of the leather seats and eagerly opened it, taking in the unique “new book” scent. She had just turned a few pages, when the barista finally called her name. On instinct, Rose placed the book on the coffee table in front of her and went to the counter to get her drink. She wasn’t gone more than a minute, but when she turned around, the book was missing. She looked around and saw a tall, dark haired man walking away—with her book in his hand!_

_Rose ran after him. “Um…excuse me, that’s my book,” she said kindly, though slightly annoyed._

_The man looked at the book in his hand and then back to her. “Did you buy it?”_

_“Well, not yet, but—“_

_“Then technically it’s not yours,” he said._

_She narrowed her gaze. “Oi! Rude! I was getting ready to…I only put it down to pick up my drink. Then, you swooped in and took it—vulture!”_

_“Now who’s being rude?” he grinned at her._

_Rose tried to remind herself that she was angry and shouldn’t be caught up thinking about how incredibly sexy she found that grin._

_“Well, it doesn’t belong to ya.”_

_“Doesn’t belong to you, either,” he said, his grin growing more brilliant than before._

_She felt her insides quiver looking at him. Suddenly, an idea came to her where she could come out a winner on all counts._

_“How ‘bout a trade?” she suggested._

_“Such as?”_

_She grinned as she thought of her plan. “Well, you give me the book…”_

_“And in exchange?” he asked, raising an eyebrow._

_Rose took a step forward and snaked her hand up to the back of his head, pulling him down for a kiss. It ended just as quickly as it had begun. Even though brief, it clearly left him awestruck. She grinned at his wide eyes and slightly agape mouth._

_“Thanks,” she said, holding up the book she had managed to pinch. With a tongue in teeth smile, she turned and walked away._

***

“……and then, he followed after me and we went for chips. And…uh…that’s that.”

“You kissed Daddy?” Zoe giggled. 

_Oops! Maybe too much information._

“Um…yes. A quick lil’ kiss.”

The two girls let out a flurry of giggles. “You’re much nicer than Miss Adams,” Sarah said decidedly.

“Oh yeah?” Rose asked, quirking an eyebrow up. She didn’t like the idea of Reinette around her children. Honestly, she just didn’t like the idea of Reinette. 

Sarah nodded her head. “Yeah! She doesn’t like to play with us or eat banana pancakes.”

“And she doesn’t like chips!” Zoe chimed in. 

Rose leaned forward as if sharing a secret. “Maybe she’s an alien,” she said, causing all four of them to giggle together. 

***

Rose zipped up the back of her dress and looked at herself in the mirror. She had finally settled on a deep crimson dress. It was nearly knee length and hugged her curves just right, highlighting them rather than advertising. Her hair fell down her back in soft golden waves. Her makeup was minimal but enough to highlight her features. Overall, she was quite satisfied. 

James was due home any moment. He had sent Donna a text earlier and said he would be arriving around this time. Rose wrung her hands and realized that James still had her wedding band. Her hand felt naked without it, but it wouldn’t be long before it was back on her finger. She stared off, allowing her worries to flutter through her mind. She was snapped back to reality when she heard the commotion of doors opening and closing and muffled sounds. She quickly put on her heels and began the trek downstairs. When she reached the bottom of the stairs, Donna was there waiting with a drink in her hand. She held it out to Rose.

“What’s this?” Rose asked in confusion. 

“Whiskey,” Donna answered, still holding out the tumbler. “Fairly certain you’re gonna need it!”

Rose crinkled her brow. “Why do I--? 

An unfamiliar voice caused her to stop midsentence. She walked towards the source and found her girls in the living room with James…and Reinette. Donna walked up beside her, still holding the drink out for her. Rose took the glass and downed it in one go, as Reinette’s gaze met her own.

_Here we go…_


	5. Chapter Five

The whiskey burned as it traveled down Rose's throat. She blinked a few times, trying to process what she was seeing.

_I have to be dreaming...because there's no way he'd bring that woman into my home. Because only a bloody stupid git would do something like that..._

Reinette arched an eyebrow and made a slow inspection of Rose. James was over to the side preparing a drink and still hadn't realized Rose was in the room. Zoe's head turned slightly and when she caught sight of Rose, her face immediately lit up with a brilliant smile. She ran up to Rose and threw her arms around her legs. Suddenly curious as to what was happening, Sarah lifted her head up from her toys and on seeing Rose, she quickly got up and ran over to James and began vigorously tugging on his jacket. He turned his gaze down toward her.

"Look it, Daddy! There's your surprise!" she said, excitedly waving her finger towards Rose.

James' gaze turned to where she was pointing. His eyes widened upon seeing Rose and his mouth dropped open just slightly. He slowly looked her up and down, taking a hard swallow after seeing all of her.

Rose was more than a little pleased to see she had turned his head. However, his reaction was nowhere near enough to make up for the current situation they found themselves in.

_Take a good long look now, mate, because that's all you're gettin'..._

Reinette looked from James to Rose and cleared her throat, reminding them of her presence. They both turned their attention to her, the three of them in a stalemate as to who would be the first to speak. Reinette stood up and walked over to Rose and again made a study of her. She turned her head towards James.

“So, does the surprise have a name?” she asked with a smile that definitely did _not_ match her tone. 

Rose clenched her fist, imagining the rush of euphoria that decking Reinette would bring. Quickly realizing the complete irrationality of that plan, she relaxed her hand and forced a polite smile.

“This…this is…well, she’s…,” James stammered.

 _Oh, for the love of God...seriously?!_  
  
Rose rolled her eyes and took a step forward towards Reinette and willed herself to extend her hand. She assumed Reinette would recognize the name “Rose,” so she went with the first name that came to mind. “Eve. Eve Tyler. I’m a…uh…good friend of the family. And you are?”

Reinette looked down at Rose’s hand as if weighing what to do. Slowly and with much feigned politeness, she took her hand and briefly shook it.

“Reinette Adams…well, Arden, now.”

After the polite formality had been met, they both quickly broke contact and Reinette walked over to James, deliberately lacing her arm through his. 

“Jamie and I were married this morning,” she said and flashed Rose her ring, staking her claim not so subtly. 

Rose’s mouth twitched as she tried to contain her laugh. James _hated_ being called “Jamie,” saying it just didn’t suit him. Hearing Reinette use the moniker just drove home the fact that this woman didn’t really know her husband. But on seeing James’ obvious displeasure at that the name and the discomfort of the situation, Rose decided that if he was going to play along in this charade, then so could she.

“Oh congratulations, _Jamie_ ,” Rose said as James gave her an exasperated stare and pursed his lips. 

Rose took a seat on the sofa and crossed her long legs, causing James to take another deep swallow. Rose couldn’t help but smirk, rather amused at seeing him squirm.

“So…how did you and _Jamie_ meet?”

“I had just started at St. Timothy’s and happened to attend one of his lectures. He was absolutely _brilliant_. Then, I saw him at the hospital fundraiser for the new Pediatric wing, and I just couldn’t help myself—I had to meet him. After that, everything fell perfectly into place,” she said, trailing her free hand down his arm. 

He shifted uncomfortably and gave a tight smile. Rose’s smile froze on her face as she watched Reinette’s familiarity with her husband. 

_Keep that up and you’re gonna lose that hand…_

Rose faintly shook her head, trying to break that train of thought. Keeping her smile plastered on her face, she asked, “So what kinda fundraiser was it? I imagine that some of those can be quite dull at times.”

Reinette tilted her chin slightly upwards but kept her eyes firmly fixed on Rose. “Oh, I’m sure that’s just because you’ve never been to one. I find them to be quite charming. Especially the one we met at—it was a gala. Wonderful food. A gorgeous brass band. Jamie is quite the dancer, you know.”

James choked on his drink at Reinette’s last comment and his eyes shot over to Rose. 

“Is he, now?” she asked, quirking an eyebrow and giving another amused smirk. James shook his head furiously and mouthed the word “NO”.

Reinette continued to flash her false smile at Rose. “In fact, I can’t think of one thing I’d change about him. He’s quite perfect,” she said, leaning forward and unexpectedly capturing James’ lips in a small kiss. Completely taken by surprise, James’ entire body went rigid and he made no move to reciprocate her kiss. 

Rose felt everything around her become motionless and felt fire sweep over her. 

_I’m going to have to murder this woman…and in front of my children, too…_

Rose let out a long yet silent breath, trying to release her possessive anger. Once again, she put on a smile. “Isn’t he, just.”

Reinette turned her attention back to Rose and walked over to her, joining her on the sofa. “So…Eve was it? To what do we owe this unexpected…pleasure?”

Rose gritted her teeth, her self-control fighting to remain intact. “Well, I just got back into town. I’ve been gone for a long while and I just had to see everyone.”

“It looks like you tried to dress up for something. I hope you didn’t change plans to come see us,” Reinette said snide sweetness. 

Rose literally bit her tongue till she tasted blood. 

_He married the Devil…_

“As a matter of fact, I had some rather big plans,” she said, looking up at James. “Unfortunately, they were canceled just as you arrived.”

James shifted again, giving her an imploring look. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough for Rose.

Reinette moved her hand over Rose’s and patted it. “Oh, you poor child,” she said patronizingly. “And after you obviously tried so hard to impress.”

James cleared his throat. “I think you look beautiful, R-…Eve,” he said in quiet earnest.

The look of longing in his eyes caused her breath to hitch.

_Oh, boy…he’s still got it…_

Rose softened in spite of herself. “Thanks,” she said softly. 

Reinette’s displeasure at James’ compliment was more than obvious. She straightened her posture and mumbled under her breath, “Yes, well…”

Sarah lifted her head up and called to Reinette. “Ya wanna play dollies with us, Miss Adams?” she asked sweetly, holding up her half-dressed Barbie. 

“No, I don't,” she quickly replied, not even looking at the little girl. 

Sarah turned back to her toys dejectedly and sniffled. Zoe leaned over and gave her sister a quick hug. Rose felt an almost feral anger rise within her at seeing her baby girl so clearly hurt. Her maternal protectiveness flared and for a moment, all she could see was white.

_I need to get out of here…now…before I slap the blonde off of her…_

She quickly dropped to the floor beside the girls. “I’ve got to go do somethin’, but I’ll only be a mo’. But when I get back, I’ll play with you and Zo Zo, yeah?” she said, gently stroking Sarah’s curls. 

Sarah looked up at Rose with misted eyes and her face instantly brightened. “Really?” she asked excitedly. 

Rose smiled brilliantly at her. “You betcha!” she assured her, placing a quick kiss to her head. She stood up and hastily made her way towards the back of the house. On her way, she passed Donna carrying a glass of white wine. Without asking, Rose grabbed the wineglass and downed the contents, handing the glass back to her and walking away. 

“Anythin’ else I can get ya?” Donna irritably called after her. 

As she made her way towards the living room, James moseyed past her, clearly trying to discretely make his way to Rose. Donna quickly realized that the meeting had gone worse than she thought it would. She thought about going to check on the two of them but, based on the look she saw on Rose’s face, she decided to let the two of them work it out on their own and continued towards living room. 

***

James knew Rose was furious. He could practically see her fuming. He wasn’t happy with Reinette’s reaction to Sarah, either; but he was so tied up in knots that he didn’t know how to respond to anything anymore. He hastily made some excuse to leave the room (he couldn’t even remember what it was exactly) and followed after Rose as quickly as he could without making a scene. He walked to the back of the house and began searching for any sign of her. 

“Rose?” he whispered. He turned his head and saw a light coming from the base of the bathroom door. He quickly walked over to it and gave the faintest of knocks. 

“Rose?” he whispered again. 

Instantly, the door flew open and before he knew it, she had pulled him in with her. 

“Wha—“ 

“Shut it!” Rose seethed, cutting him off. She shoved him against the door. “You daft bloody twit! You brought that smarmy bint into our home? And then let her make our child cry?” she hissed, digging her finger into his chest.

“Ro—“

“I didn’t say ya could talk! What happened to ‘I’ve got to tell her’? Missin’ some parts, are ya?”

James suddenly broke into a flirty grin. Rose jerked her head back, surprised at his unexpected expression. 

“What are you grinnin’ ‘bout?” she asked incredulously, though fighting the fluttering that always happened when he looked at her like that. 

He put his hands on her waist and pulled her slightly towards him, his grin broadening as he did so.

“Have I ever told you how _incredibly_ attractive you are when you get all fiery like this?” he said, his voice low and flirty.

“Oh, yeah?” she asked, her tone matching his. She reached a hand up and pulled his head towards her till their lips were almost touching. 

“Sorry,” she whispered, “I don’t snog married men,” and pushed him back towards the door.

“Oh, that’s just not fair!” he groaned. 

“Not fair?!” she hissed again. “What’s not fair is coming home and finding out the love of your life is married to Satan. And then... _then_ , finding her in your home, pawing all over your husband and making your babies cry. Brilliant choice, _Jamie_!”

James’ eyes narrowed. “Please don’t call me that!”

“Why? Because you only wanna hear it from the Plastic Princess?” she smarted. 

“No,” he grumbled. “Because I _hate_ it and you know it!”

A small knock at the door stopped Rose before she could continue their argument. She went to open it but James stopped her. 

“What if it’s Reinette?”

Rose narrowed her eyes. “So what if it is? Afraid you’ll have to man up and tell her ‘bout me?”

She could see the hurt in his eyes and that he was about to say something. She didn’t want to hear it and quickly opened the door before he could start. James poked his head over Rose’s shoulder to see who it was. They both looked down and saw Zoe anxiously moving from foot to foot.

“I gotta go!” she said hurriedly.

“Oh!” they both said and quickly exited as the little girl rushed in and shut the door.

They stood there a few moments looking at each other, but neither having the courage to speak. 

Finally, James found his voice. “Rose, I—“

She put up a hand, stopping him as she fought back the tears that were coming. “Just…don’t. Not right now…,” she said, her voice breaking. She turned and walked away, sidestepping James as he reached for her arm. He became lost in thought as he watched her walk off. 

Zoe came out of the loo and went up to James. “Daddy? Are you sad?”

Her voice pulled him from his thoughts and he looked down at her, giving her a small smile. She stared at him, her eyes wide, worried, and just like Rose’s. He didn’t have the heart to lie to her. 

“Just a little, sweetheart.”

“Do ya need a hug?” she asked softly.

His smile widened. “A hug would be perfect,” he said and bent down, allowing his little girl to wrap her arms tightly around his neck. She pulled back and he kissed her forehead.

She smiled at him. “Miss Tyler’s so nice, Daddy. And beautiful…like a princess. Me and Sarah love her!” she said, running off towards the living room.

“Me, too,” he said softly.

***

Several minutes later, James entered the living room to find Rose on the floor sans heels and playing with the girls. To his delight and relief, Reinette was no longer there. He cleared his throat to get her attention, but Rose ignored him. 

“Reinette leave?” he asked, painfully stating the obvious.

Rose nodded but still refused to make eye contact. “Yeah. Said she was…going to bed.”

James started to speak, but Sarah beat him to it. 

“Miss Tyler, will ya read to us?”

She turned and smiled warmly at her daughter. “Sure. Go pick out a book.” 

The two girls eagerly stood up and ran up the stairs. Rose stood up off the floor and sat on the sofa, putting her head in her hands. She looked up when she felt James sit down. His eyes were loving, yet deeply troubled. 

“Rose…I’m sorry. I went to tell her. I really did. Then, she answered the door and—“

Once again, the girls’ presence interrupted them. Zoe wiggled herself between James and Rose, and Sarah curled up on the other side of Rose, handing her a _Classics for Children_ copy of  Pride and Prejudice. Rose raised her eyebrows. 

“This is a big book for little girls.”

Zoe piped up.“Daddy said it was our mummy’s favorite. He reads a lil’ to us every night.”

Rose met James’ gaze, her eyes once again misted. 

“Really?” she asked, more directed at him than the girls. 

He smiled and nodded as Zoe said, “Yep!”

A few tears finally escaped as Rose turned her attention to the book in her hands, opening it to the first chapter. 

“Mr. and Mrs. Bennet lived on an estate called Longbourn. They had five young daughters—Jane, Elizabeth, Ma—“

“Daddy says Mummy was just like Elizabeth,” Sarah interjected. 

Rose softly chuckled at that, but continued to read. “Mary, Kitty, and Lydia…”

By the time Rose had read the second chapter, the two girls were fast asleep. Rose quietly closed the book and put it to the side, careful not to wake them. She turned her head towards James and his eyes immediately caught her notice. They were overflowing with emotion, the intensity nearly taking her breath away. In that moment, she wanted nothing more than to kiss him; to cherish this precious moment in her life. But she was still hurt as James’ actions, or lack thereof. She restrained herself and cleared her throat awkwardly. 

“Can you…uh…help me take them upstairs?”

James saw the guard she put up and it pierced his heart. He wanted to finally talk with no interruptions about his failure to tell Reinette, but he decided to hold off just then. Without a word, he expertly picked up Zoe as Rose picked up Sarah. They quietly climbed the stairs to the girls’ room, placing them in their beds. After placing quick kisses to each of their foreheads, they quietly left and closed the door. They stood there for a few moments, neither making the effort to move away from each other. 

“I thought I’d never get to see you do that,” James finally said.

Rose met his gaze and cocked her head to the side. “Do what?”

“Play with the girls. Read to them…get to be their mother,” he answered quietly, his voice cracking with restrained emotion. 

Rose nodded in understanding. “There were times I was worried I’d never get to, either.”

A beat passed before James spoke again. “I love you...so much.”

Rose cast her eyes away and swallowed hard. James took a finger to her chin and turned her face back to him. 

“I do, Rose. I love you…and I’m so sorry I didn’t take care of things. I really bollocksed this up, didn’t I?”

“Just a bit,” she said, her voice finally vacant of anger. 

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “So…”

Rose sighed softly. “So…now I’m gonna go to bed. S’kinda been an emotional day.”

James furrowed his brow. “Where are you sleeping?”

“Well, considering my room’s... _occupied_ , I’m bunking with Donna. Where are _you_ sleeping?” 

He rolled back on his heels. “Weelll, considering my room’s occupied, it looks like I’ll be sleeping on the sofa in my office.”

“Not gonna sleep with your wife?” Rose said, the pain and hurt clearly evident in her voice.

“My wife is bunking with my sister. It would be rather uncomfortable, not to mention awkward, for the three of us to share a bed,” he said with an air of levity, but his meaning was clear.

Rose shook her head and gave a tired laugh. “Y’know…sometimes it’s really hard to stay mad at you.”

He grinned at her, relieved that she was starting to soften. He stepped closer to her and, once again, put his hands on her waist. “It’s my boyish charm, isn’t it?” 

This time, Rose didn’t move away. Instead, she stepped closer and started playing with his tie. 

“Among other things. I always did think you were sorta foxy,” she said, finally looking up at him and smiling, a flash of pink between her teeth. 

“You flirting with me, ‘Eve’ Tyler?” he grinned, leaning forward.

“Never,” she whispered, cupping his head and finally closing the distance between the in a soft kiss. 

As the seconds passed, the kiss deepened and became more fervent. Rose put her hand on his chest and pushed back slowly, breaking the kiss far too soon for both of their liking. 

“I should go to bed. And, I believe you have something to take care of, yeah?” she whispered, a tad out of breath. 

He was clearly disappointed that their little activity had ended, but nodded in agreement. 

She pulled playfully at his tie and then stepped back from him.

“G’night,” she said and quietly walked down the hall and entered Donna’s room.

James turned towards their bedroom door and took a long exhale, thinking about what he was about to do. He made his way to the door and quietly opened it. Reinette was on her mobile and didn’t notice him. 

“I’m serious, Cassandra! I couldn’t believe it! He practically ran out of the hotel and then, we travel all day nonstop and when we finally get here, some blonde chav is waiting! I’m telling you, if he doesn’t explain himself, I’m leaving!”

James couldn’t help but smile at the thought that this might be easier than originally believed. He was leaning too forward, and accidently stumbled, causing the door to creak and Reinette to turn around. 

Still looking at him, Reinette said, “Ring me when you get this message.”

James straightened himself up but left the door open. They continued to stare at each other for what seemed like an eternity, before she crossed her arms and spoke.

“Well…do you plan on explaining yourself?” she demanded

James opened and closed his mouth several times, every single word in his vocabulary fleeing from his mind in an instant. 

“Well?!” she shouted, throwing her arms in the air.

“Uh…,” James started. 

Just then, the doorbell rang and he silently thanked heaven. “I’ll go get that,” he said and hurriedly left the room, closing the door just as Reinette threw a pillow at him.

James scurried down the stairs and answered the door, not caring who it was, just thankful for the distraction. He opened the door and was met with the sight of a balding middle-aged man dressed in a well-tailored suit and holding a briefcase. 

“Mr. Arden?” he inquired.

James tilted his head curiously. “Yes?”

“Harry Daniels. I’m with the law firm of Harrison, Taylor, and Williams. I’m here to ask you some questions about your wife—Rose Tyler.”


	6. Chapter Six

James stood there staring at the middle aged man for several minutes. Why would this man be here asking questions about his presumed dead wife? And at this late hour?

Mr. Daniels' eyebrows rose questioningly. "You _are_ married to Rose Marion Tyler, correct?"

James faintly shook himself out of his train of thought and cleared his throat. "Yes. Sorry..."

"No, I'm sorry. I'm sure she goes by Rose Arden, but I just spent the last hour mistakenly speaking to a Roseanne Arden and I wanted to avoid another misunderstanding. I also apologize for intruding at this time of night. Unfortunately, I have to catch an early morning flight to New York and this is the only opportunity I'll have to sort out this matter." 

"Yes, of course. I understand," James' reassured but still continued to blank the man.

A beat passed.

"So, if you don't mind...," Daniels hinted, motioning his head towards inside.

"Oh, yes...yes, of course," James said hurriedly, again shaking himself out if his daze. He took a few steps back and widened the door, allowing the man to enter the house. 

James shoved his hands in his pockets, trying to contain the nervous energy this man's unexpected arrival an interest in Rose had caused. 

"My office is back this way," he said motioning with his head and then turning towards it.

Mr. Daniels followed him closely and stepped into the room James indicated. James motioned to one of the leather wingbacks and Daniels promptly sat. The man was clearly drained and anxious to begin. 

“My firm represents Mr. Jack Harkness and his suit regarding…,” Daniels stopped abruptly as a thought suddenly crossed his mind. “This might be simpler if I speak with Mrs. Arden.”

James’ interest was immediately peaked at the mention of a man that he had never met or heard of, having a connection with his wife—especially after three years had passed. In that instant, James decided that his curiosity took precedence over anything else.

“My wife is…indisposed at the moment. I’m sure I can help you, though. Please continue,” James prompted.

Daniels lifted an eyebrow and regarded him for a moment, weighing the likelihood of James being able to be of any real use. He glanced at his Rolex and on seeing the time, released a tired sigh and ran a hand over what little hair he had left. Despite his better judgment, he relented and continued with his explanation. Opening up his briefcase, he removed a manila folder and began skimming the contents.

“As I was saying, I represent a Mr. Jack Harkness, the founder of Torchwood Avionics. Mr. Harkness was reported missing three years ago after the boat he was on went down during an unexpected storm. In that time, the board transferred controlling interest to Torchwood’s Vice President, Adam Mitchell. However, two days ago, Mr. Harkness suddenly resurfaced and discovered this fact. He immediately hired us to represent him as he seeks to reclaim control of his company.”

This information only served to further confuse James. “So, what exactly does this have to do with Rose?”

“Well, according to Mr. Harkness, he was visiting a childhood friend, to whom the boat belonged. This friend, a Mr. Billy Shipton, owned a charter company and was hired by your wife to take her out to sea to scatter her grandfather’s ashes. According to Mr. Harkness, a sudden severe storm struck and the boat’s navigational system was damaged. Mr. Harkness and your wife were able to hold on to a piece of the wreckage. Unfortunately, Mr. Shipton drowned at sea. Eventually, Mr. Harkness and your wife ended up on an uninhabited island, where they spent the next three years. Less than a week ago, a ship called _La Loba Mala_ veered off course and spotted their makeshift beacon on the shore. Mr. Harkness and your wife were rescued, and when they reached port, he was able to use some of his…let us say, connections…to arrange for your wife and himself to be transported back to London.”

James knew that the man had finished speaking—his mouth had stopped moving. But all James could hear was a shrill ringing in his ears. He and Rose hadn’t really spoken about their time apart. He knew she had been stranded on an island but, between the snogging and trying to deal with Reinette, they really hadn’t discussed the details of what had exactly happened during those three years. He had assumed she had been alone, but he had just been proven wrong. She had been stranded with someone. Not just someone—a man. A man that was rich and successful. A man that _wasn’t_ James. He was sure it was only a matter of seconds before the intense pressure he felt in his head caused an aneurysm. 

_How dare she not tell me about this!_

Daniels began to speak again but James still couldn’t hear the words being uttered. Forcing himself to focus, he asked, “I’m sorry…what was that?”

Daniels sighed in weary frustration. “I said this is merely a formality. Does this account coincide with your wife’s?”

James stared a few moments before realizing that he hadn’t actually answered the man. And honestly, it was because he didn’t know _what_ had happened. But Daniels didn’t need to know of James’ ignorance.

He cleared his throat. “Um…sounds about right.”

Daniels gave a sigh of relief. “Good. Is there anything you can think of to add?”

James mutely shook his head.

Daniels placed the folder back in the briefcase and promptly closed it. He stood up and shook James’ hand. 

“I thank you for your time. I know this situation is…unique, to say the least. I still have a hard time believing it’s not some work of fiction. But after confirming everything else in Mr. Harkness’ statement, there’s no doubt it’s true.”

“No doubt,” James agreed absentmindedly. 

Daniels and James made their way towards the front door. As they reached it, Daniels spoke up.

“You know, I must say that I admire their spirit. After all that time, they never lost hope. And they certainly didn’t lose their sense of humor.”

James furrowed his brow in confusion. “How do you mean?”

Daniels chuckled. “Well, there they were—on a completely deserted island with no obvious sign of leaving, but they were still able to find humor in the situation. I mean the nicknames they had for each other were priceless—Adam and Eve,” he said, chuckling harder than before.

The expression on James face froze as he heard the names.

_“Eve. Eve Tyler…”_

“Hysterical,” he said with barely contained sarcasm. 

If Daniels picked up on James’ tone, he didn’t show it. Instead, he bade him a goodnight and quickly left. James stared at the closed door in front of him, attempting to absorb the flood of information he had just received. The more he ruminated on it, the more infuriated he became. There was no way he was letting another minute go by without hearing the whole story. He hurriedly climbed the stairs, fuming the entire time.

 _Rose has some serious explaining to do…_

***

Rose had planned on going straight to bed after leaving James in the hallway. However, Donna didn't have the same plans and proceeded to have Rose rehash the events of the evening, seeing as she had taken to hiding out in her room with a bottle of wine. Several times during the conversation, Donna would shrill "what?" and Rose would have to quickly calm her down before she committed a felony. Finally, Donna's need for information was satisfied and she settled into bed, quickly falling asleep.

Rose put on one of James' oversized t-shirts that Donna had managed to swipe before Reinette had turned in for the night. As she slipped it on over her head, she inhaled the lingering scent of her husband and a pang shot through her heart. She didn’t want the scent on his shirt; she wanted the real thing. She wanted her husband, wanted to be lost in his embrace. But that wouldn’t be happening tonight. Rose pulled back the plush duvet and lay down next to the sleeping Donna. She closed her eyes, sighing in contentment at the heavenly feel of the mattress beneath her, and began to drift off. That is until the bedroom door was thrown open and the lights unceremoniously flipped on. 

Rose lifted herself up onto her elbow and turned her head to see who was there, squinting as her eyes attempted to adapt to the sudden light. Her vision started to come into focus and she saw James standing there, clearly trying to contain his anger.

“Turn off the godforsaken light, Rose,” Donna grumbled groggily.

“It’s not me,” Rose answered, her eyes never leaving James’.

Donna huffed and shuffled upwards. “Some of us are trying to sleep, you daft git!”

“Donna. Leave. Now,” James ordered without looking at her.

“ _Excuse me?!_ Who do yo—“

“If you leave now, I will give you Lee from Cardiology’s number.”

“Oh, please,” Donna scoffed, “I got that two weeks ago. Now get out!”

Rose continued to stare at James, trying to determine what reason he had to be standing there fuming at her. 

Finally, she crawled out of bed and spoke, “James, wh—“

“You and I need to talk. Now,” he said pointedly.

Rose crinkled her brow in confusion. “About what?” 

He didn’t answer her, instead turning his attention back to Donna. “Donna. I’m serious. Leave so Rose and I can talk.”

Before Donna could smart off, Rose said, “James, whatever it is, it can wait till the morning. I’m goin’ ba-...oi!“

Rose never got to finish her sentence, because before she realized what was happening, James picked her up in a fireman hold and promptly left the room.

“James Ian Arden! Ya let me down this minute!” she hissed as he took them both downstairs.

“Quiet,” he countered as they reached the floor. He continued to hold onto her despite Rose pinching him and trying to pull his hair, all in a futile attempt to get him to release her. When they entered his office, he dropped her in the middle of the room and firmly shut the door. 

“What is you’re _bloody_ deal?! Have you lost your head?!” Rose turned on him, her eyes flashing with anger at his Neanderthal behavior.

James opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. His brain was otherwise preoccupied trying to process the image of his gorgeous wife standing before him, her hair slightly tussled and dressed in his shirt, the hem of which stopped just above mid-thigh. He just stood there silent and staring. He felt himself begin to drool and quickly snapped his jaw closed.

The longer the silence continued, the more infuriated Rose became. 

“Well?!” she demanded, crossing her arms.

“Y-y-you…you’re wearing my shirt,” James idiotically stuttered. 

“Well, I’m sharing a bed with Donna, and most of what I bought to sleep in would make both of us _extremely_ uncomfortable.”

At Rose’s explanation, James’ mouth gaped open yet again.

She rolled her eyes at his ridiculousness. “It’s nothin’ you haven’t seen before. So, stop staring and start talkin’!”

James immediately remembered his anger, and shook himself out of the daze that seemed to happen every time he looked at Rose.

“Tell me about the island,” he said as he mimicked her stance.

Rose furrowed her brow and opened and closed her mouth a few times before saying, “Ya drug me outta bed for that?”

“Tell me. About. The island,” he firmly reiterated. 

Her eyebrows shot upwards at his tone. “Well…there were trees. Quite a bit of sand. Oh, and water…lots and lots of water.”

“That it?” he challenged, raising his eyebrows and cocking his head to the side.

“Well, the food was terrible. I think they need to change chefs,” she replied sarcastically. 

“Ha bloody ha! You’re holding out on me!”

“What are you _on_ about? Why are ya actin’ like such a prat?!” she demanded.

“You weren’t alone, were you _‘Eve’_?” he grumbled, staring daggers at her.

Rose’s eyes widened slightly at his question before returning back to normal. “How do you know that? I hadn’t told you about that yet!”

“Feeling guilty, are we?” he smirked. 

As understanding hit her, Rose’s eyes flashed again in anger. “First of all, I don’t have anything to feel guilty about!”

James snorted.

“And second of all, stop glaring at me and implying that I’ve done something wrong, you daft hypocritical git!” she growled. 

“Excuse me?! Hypocritical?!” he squawked. 

“Yes! Hypocritical! Accusing me of holding out on _you,_ when you can’t man up and tell the woman upstairs in _our_ bed that I’m alive! You bleedin’ coward!”

James’ anger burned and he pulled at his hair in frustration. “Well, I wasn’t the one parading around on some island playing Adam and Eve! Did you plan on ‘multiplying and replenishing the earth,’ too?” he shouted

The words had barely left his mouth when he felt a searing flash of pain across his cheek. Rose's slap brought him back to reality. He looked at her startled and instantly ashamed of what he had implied.

“How _dare_ you! I never thought of Jack like that—not once! I’ve only ever wanted _you!_ And every single day for three long years, I tried to get back to _you_!” she fiercely replied, tears strangling her voice as she spoke.

James silently and repeatedly cursed himself. He hated himself for his thoughtlessness, for his utterly unjust and unfounded accusations. He stepped towards her, his arms slightly opened.

“Rose, I’m so sorry. I was completely wrong and I—“ 

She stepped back and held her hand out, keeping him at bay. 

“Just…leave me alone right now. I’m going back to bed,” she said softly, hurt evident in her voice.

She hurried past him and out of the room, tears pricking her eyes. She had just reached the top of the stairs when she heard the front door slam shut. Rose sunk to the floor and buried her face in her hands as silent tears began to fall. 


	7. Chapter Seven

The lift doors slid open with a _ding_ as it reached the fourth floor. Holding a cup of coffee in one hand and anchoring an immense amount of mail with her other, Sally Sparrow exited the lift and made her way to Dr. Arden’s office, the clicking of her heels echoing through the virtually silent hallway. Normally, she didn’t have any trouble rising early for work, but last night had been rough. She’d spent all night trying to soothe her friend, Kathy, from a particularly rough breakup and didn’t go to bed until almost after two o’clock. Now, she was silently chastising herself for agreeing to take the reins while James was away. 

It wasn’t that she minded helping him—far from it. Sally had always felt somewhat indebted to James since their first meeting several years ago. When she first started her clinicals at St. Timothy’s, she had been assigned to work under one of the senior staff physicians, Dr. Harry Saxon. She learned right away that it was not a choice assignment. After one of Saxon’s rather scathing and public rebukes, Sally had hastily and quietly made herself scarce, seeking refuge in the first unlocked room she came across. Unbeknownst to her, she had chosen James’ office. She’d spent the next several minutes in the darkened room trying to regain her composure, when James unexpectedly entered. After a few moments of surprised silence from both parties, Sally hurriedly mumbled her apologies and tried to make a hasty retreat. Before she could leave, James gently pulled her aside and proceeded to encourage her, praising her for her exceptional intellect and potential as well as her forbearance in dealing with the megalomaniac, Saxon. She waved away his compliments as undeserved and too kind, but he maintained their sincerity. She left his office, still a little worse for wear but uplifted by James’ kind and unexpected words. From that time on, he continued to support and encourage her through her schooling, immediately hiring her as his PA when she received her license.

Over the few years they had known each other, they had developed a warm, affectionate friendship that bordered more on familial than professional. She had never once begrudged helping him with anything—except this. Sally despised the fact that James had decided to marry Reinette; so helping the furthering of their relationship in _any_ way automatically put in her in a foul mood. She had known Reinette’s predecessor and there was no comparing the two—Rose was by far a superior woman. Sally had met Rose shortly after that first meeting with James, and had subsequently become quite close to her. Rose had no family save her grandfather, and would often tell Sally that she considered her a part of her adopted family. When Rose disappeared, Sally was devastated—not just by the loss she felt personally, but also for James and his family’s loss. When James would come into work, she could see how utterly shattered he was over losing Rose. Oh, he put on an impressive façade, but his eyes were vacant of the vivacity and love they held when Rose was still with him. For two and a half years, he had gone through the motions of living, his only true source of happiness being his little girls. 

Then, four months ago, Reinette Adams began practicing at St. Timothy’s and quickly set her sights on James. To those who actually paid attention, like Sally, it was obvious why Reinette was predominately interested in James. James was one of two people in consideration for replacing Dr. Harriet Jones as the hospital’s Director of Medicine; Saxon was the other. Sally assumed that Reinette didn’t try for Saxon because that much pomposity was too volatile, and that she sensed James was the weaker target. Reinette put prestige and prominence above all else. Even though her affections for James were flaunted and rather forced, she did seem to care for him; but, it was a fondness as opposed to an actual all-consuming love. Despite Sally and several others’ best efforts, they were not able to convince James to reconsider the relationship. Sally could only attribute his blind idiocy to the desire to fill his immense loneliness. So here she was, up bright and early at 7:00 A.M. and on her way to James’ office, while he was off gallivanting with the Queen of the Damned. 

Sally reached the office to find a large package blocking the door. She looked from her already occupied hands to the box and groaned. She placed her cup on the package and rummaged through her bag for the keys. She inserted the key and grabbed the knob to unlock the door, but the door opened without her needing to turn the key. She frowned, worried that yesterday, in her haste to meet Kathy, she had forgotten to lock up. She placed the keys back in her bag and picked up her coffee. She began nudging the package with her feet through the slightly ajar door. As she entered, Sally flipped the light switch and was startled by unexpected groan, causing her to give a small shriek. Her eyes darted to the source of the noise which was currently stretched across the leather couch and covered with his lab coat. 

“James?” she asked in surprised confusion.

He turned his head towards her, squinting as he attempted to adjust to the lights. 

“Sally…what are you doing here?” he asked groggily.

She arched an eyebrow at his question. “Um…I’m working. What are _you_ doin’ here? Aren’t you s’posed to be on your honeymoon?”

James looked around at his surroundings, as if he had forgotten just where he was exactly. He then sat up, swinging his legs off the couch and onto the floor. He rubbed his eyes before looking up at her and blinking several times.

“You cut off all your hair,” he said randomly, slightly cocking his head to the side.

“Yeah…I was sorta goin’ for the ‘Daisy Buchanan’ look. Wait…don’t go changin’ the subject! What are ya doing here?”

He scrubbed his face and then lowered his head, his hands locked around his neck. 

“What is it with you women and the incessant questions?” he grumbled. “’What are ya doing here?’ ‘Are you going to explain yourself?’ ‘When are you going to tell her?’ On and on and on…it just never stops!”

Sally’s brow furrowed in complete confusion at James’ odd tirade. “What on earth are you on about? All I asked was why you’re here…it’s a perfectly logical question considering you just got married yesterday!”

James ignored her question, instead continuing to keep his head down as he grumbled unintelligibly. 

Sally sighed exasperatedly. She was confused. She was exhausted. And she’d only had about three sips of coffee and was in no mood to continue putting up with this ridiculousness—especially if it had to do with Reinette. She placed the mail onto the dark cherry wood desk and walked over to James.

“Budge over,” she instructed, nudging him with her knee.

He scooted over, still continuing his staring match with the carpet. She sat next to him and placed her elbows on her knees. She considered him for a minute before taking a quick swig of her drink.

“Sooo…,” she sighed. “At the risk of asking too many questions, mind tellin’ me why you’re in here acting like a big baby?”

“I’m not acting like a baby.”

Sally snorted. “Well, call it whatever you want…just answer the question.”

James lifted his head up, fixing his gaze directly in front of him as he spoke. 

“I…uh…I just had a bad night,” he replied somewhat dejectedly.

Her concern surfaced at James’ tone of voice. 

“What happened?” she asked, slowly broaching the subject. James wasn’t one to really divulge his innermost feelings, but that never stopped Sally from trying to get him to open up to her.

James was silent for a moment. Sally could see him mentally weighing his words before he spoke.

He exhaled deeply. “Well…I have this friend who’s in a bit of a tricky situation…”

Sally couldn’t help but smirk. “Y’know, about ninety percent of the time someone says they ‘have this friend,’ they’re actually talkin’ about themselves.”

He finally looked at her, furrowing his brow in slight frustration. 

The teasing smirk left her face. “Sorry. G’on.”

“So…this friend…he…he lost something…irreplaceable. But then…he found out it wasn’t lost. But now, there’s this _thing_ in the way. And he’s trying to take care of the _thing_ , but he doesn’t know how to tell the _thing_ that it’s over…that what he really wants, what he’s always wanted, is back. That he never felt for the _thing_ what he feels for the other. You understand?” he asked almost imploringly.

Sally felt a dull pressure begin to form between her eyes after listening to that discombobulating tale. She focused on him, brow wrinkled in confusion and mouth slightly opening and closing several times as her mind debated on whether or not to speak. James looked at her perplexed expression and his countenance fell further. 

“Of course you don’t understand me. I sound like an absolute nutter.”

“No…no, just give me a mo. I’m trying to work it through,” she quietly insisted. 

She took another drink of her coffee and then pursed her lips in contemplation. He watched her for what felt like an eternity before he spoke, no longer able to constrain himself.

“Well?”

“Yeeeaaah…ya lost me,” she giggled lightly, bumping his side as she did so. 

James chuckled in spite of himself, feeling some of the well-deserved but exhausting tension leave his body. He scrubbed his face again and then smiled over at her.

“Well, thanks for trying.”

She smiled softly at him. “You bet.”

He turned his face away somewhat sheepishly.

“Hey,” Sally said, bumping him again to get his attention. He looked up at her and raised an eyebrow questioningly. 

“Cheer up, Mopey. It’ll get better. Just tell your _friend_ that avoiding something doesn’t make it any easier. Y’know…if that’s what he’s doing,” she said with a grin.

James gave a soft snort.

“So, what are ya gonna do now?” she asked.

He looked up at her. _Good question…_

***

Apparently, the answer to Sally’s question was “hide out,” because that’s what James did for most of the morning. He knew he couldn’t roam the halls; people knew he was supposed to be on his honeymoon and his presence would raise questions he wasn’t prepared to answer. What he really wanted was to see Rose, but truth be told, he was ashamed to see her. He had acted like such a jealous cad last night. He saw the hurt in her eyes at his words, and it stung more than her slap ever could. He knew he needed to get his gob in check before he saw her again. But he also didn’t want to chance running into Reinette, because he _still_ didn’t know how to start _that_ conversation. 

Around ten, James’ stomach started to become insistent on being fed. He cautiously stuck his head out into the hallway. On seeing it was mainly deserted, he started towards the lift, keeping his head down as he did so. James was so focused on keeping himself inconspicuous, that he completely missed seeing the tall, dark haired gentleman approaching from the other direction until they rammed into each other. The lid on the man’s coffee cup popped off, causing some of the contents to spill onto the well-tailored and clearly expensive charcoal suit. 

Startled, James looked up and began hurriedly apologizing. 

The dark haired man brushed off James’ concern. “Oh, please, it’s nothing. Half an hour at the cleaners and it’ll be like it never happened. Don’t worry about it.”

“Well, nonetheless, I’m terribly sorry. I’d be more than happy to take care of the tab, Mr.…?” James trailed off expectantly. 

“Name’s Jack Harkness. And I’ll tell ya what…I’m running late, so you tell me where I can find a Doctor…uh,” he pulled out an appointment card and looked at the name, “David Erickson, and we’ll call it even.”

James felt the blood drain out of his body at the realization that he was actually face to face with the man himself. He realized Jack was regarding him curiously. On noticing that Jack had obviously never met Dr. Erickson, James made a split second decision.

“I was beginning to think you wouldn’t show,” James said with a forced smile and as much friendliness in his voice as he could muster.

Jack’s eyebrows raised in surprise. “You're Dr. Erickson? Well, isn’t this coincidental?”

“Isn’t it, just?” he replied and steered Jack towards the office. Erickson’s office was just a few doors down from James’. They reached the door and James held his breath that Erickson was out on his usual morning pastry run. Cracking the door open just enough to check, James saw the room was empty and ushered Jack inside. As he did so, James saw Sally making her way down the hall towards him, her face scrunched in confusion. 

“Uh, have a seat, Mr. Harkness,” he said, motioning to one of the chairs. “I’ll be just moment.” 

He quickly shut the door and closed the distance between himself and Sally. She opened her mouth to speak, but he cut her off before she could start.

“I need you to keep Erickson distracted for about ten minutes.”

Sally looked at James as if he had finally cracked. “Erickson? The man analyzes everything you do. He once tried to tell me that the fact I picked an apple instead of an orange, meant that I had trust issues with my father. He’s a complete nutter…ironic, considering he’s a shrink. So just how exactly am I supposed to distract him?”

“I don’t know! Bat your eyes. Flip your hair. Whatever you can think of! Just stall him,” he said and turned to go back into the office. 

Sally grabbed his arm, stopping him suddenly. “James, I’m not gonna—“

“Sally, please! This has to do with Rose. I just need ten minutes!”

Sally was stunned. “Wha-…Rose? James, what…”

“Ten minutes!” he pleaded. 

Without another word, he entered the office and quickly shut the door behind him, leaving a rather dumbfounded Sally standing in the middle of the hallway. 


	8. Chapter Eight

As James closed the door, it suddenly hit him–he had absolutely no idea what he was doing. His extemporaneous decision to pose as Erickson had been fueled purely by the borderline hysteria he was experiencing. Ever since he found out Rose had spent three years alone with another man, he had obsessed over every small detail his mind could conjure. What did he look like? What did they do every day for three years? Did he get too familiar with Rose? Was Jack more handsome than him? What did Rose think of this Jack? On and on his mind went, to the point he was certain he had developed an ulcer overnight.

He turned to the ridiculously handsome American, his mind a complete blank. 

Jack glanced down at his watch and then up at James.

"So Doc, how long do you think this thing will take? I have this lunch date over at Boeshane Tavern and I really don't wanna have to cancel on her."

James perked up at that. 

_A date? A date means interested in someone. A date means no interest in Rose._

"Shouldn't take long at all. Can't have you upsetting your girlfriend, now can we?" he said, eager to confirm his hope.

Jack chuckled. "Not that kinda date. I'm actually meeting my stepsister, Gwen. But I’d rather face ten angry girlfriends than Gwen's wrath."

James felt his stomach drop at Jack's negative reply. He did his best to shake it off and focus on the task at hand. He sat down in one of the suede chairs and motioned Jack to the one cattycorner from him. James picked up the pad and pen that was resting on the small table next to his chair. He had no use for it but he decided to commit to playing the part. He still didn't know why Jack would be seeing Erickson, so he decided to ask in the most discreet way possible.

"So Mr. Harkness, do you understand why you're here?"

Jack sniffed in annoyance. "Understand? Yeah. Agree with? No." 

James inwardly grumbled. 

_Apparently, this is going to take some more effort._

"And why is that?" he asked, putting on a serious face.

_Please just say something that gives me a hint..._

"Well, for starters, Torchwood is my company. Well...the majority is mine. When I found it, it was fractured almost beyond repair, but I took it and made it into what it is now. Then, I invested countless time and money in Adam when no one else believed in him. And how does he repay me? He convinces the board to send me to some shrink, trying to get me declared incompetent so he can force me out," Jack replied, a touch of steel evident on his voice but his eyes trying to hide his hurt. 

"So that's why I don't agree with being here. Plus I think all this psychobabble is a load 'a crap...no offense, Doc."

For brief moment, James pitied the man. It was clear Jack felt betrayed by his company’s actions. 

_Hey...focus! He was on an island. Three years. Alone. With Rose._

Suddenly realizing Jack had stopped talking, he shook his mind free of his its wanderings. 

"What? Oh...none taken," he said as he remembered Jack's words. He knew he was running out of time and needed to step up his inquiry. Sally wouldn’t be able to hold off Erickson for too long. Clearing his throat, he decided to broach the subject he had been both obsessing over and dreading. 

"So, tell me about your time on the island.”

Jack leaned back in his seat and shrugged. “Honestly, there’s not much to tell. Three years of nothing but sand and water,” he paused and then smiling, said, “If it wasn’t for Rosie, I think I woulda gone crazy.”

James felt his grip on the pen tighten involuntarily. The tone in the disturbingly handsome man’s voice when he spoke of Rose, stirred a fierce ire within James. It was too familiar, too…everything. He forced himself to continue this line of inquiry. 

“So this Rose…how would you describe your relationship with her?” 

Jack locked his hands behind his head and tilted back in contemplation. 

“My Rosie…well, she’s somethin’ special. No doubt about it. We got to know each other really well over those three years.”

 _YOUR ROSIE? She’s not YOUR Rosie! She’s mine! She’s always been mine and always will be! And stop calling her “Rosie”…_ James silently ranted.

He started fiercely doodling random shapes and figures on the pad in his hand, knowing that if he didn’t keep the pen occupied, he would lunge forward and stab the man. He took a steadying breath and pressed on.

“Go on,” James gritted out.

“Well, she’s sweet…funny…sharp as a tack. She’s actually the one who came up with the whole rescue beacon idea. Worked her tail off building it, too. And the cherry on top? She’s a total knockout…I mean— _wow!_ Three years of seeing that beauty on the beach…,” he whistled, “That’s one image I’ll never get tired of replaying in my head.”

At Jack’s last statement, there was a loud snap. James suddenly realized that he had broken his pen in half. Cobalt ink began to spread over his palm. He quickly stood, flopping the pad onto the seat, and cupping the broken pen and ink. 

“Ya ok, Doc?” Jack asked, curiously regarding the odd man before him. 

“Yeah…fine. Just the…uh…pen seems to have stopped working. I’m just going t-to go…um, clean up,” James fumbled out, knowing full well that he sounded like a complete idiot. He hurriedly left the room. Closing the door behind him, he looked up and saw Sally off to the side, speaking with Erickson. 

“…so there I am, I’m sitting in this…uh…this waiting room and watching telly, and on every channel I see my father. Except it’s not my father, it’s the butcher from down the street and he keeps shouting at me but I can’t hear him.”

James’ eyebrows furrowed together hearing Sally’s bizarre rambling. _What in the world…?_

Erickson stroked his chin and nodded. “I see this quite often. Subconsciously, you’re—“

“Sally?” James called out, halting the man’s preposterous analysis. 

Sally whipped her around towards James, clearly relieved to have the conversation end. 

“Yes, Doctor?”

“I need you to help me with that thing we talked about,” he said, motioning with his head towards his office. 

Sally lightly rolled her eyes at James’ flimsy pretext. There were too many “things” going on and not enough explanations. She turned her attention back to Dr. Erickson.

“If you’ll excuse me?”

He shook his head in understanding. “Certainly, Miss Sparrow. I’m actually very late for my next appointment. Call my secretary this afternoon and we can schedule several sessions for you. We certainly have a lot to talk about.”

Sally gritted her teeth in a forced smile. “Yes, well…thank you, Doctor.”

With a brief nod, Erickson turned and walked into his office. Sally marched over to James and angrily pinched his arm. 

“Ow! What was that for?” James yelped.

“You owe me…BIG TIME!”

***

Rose had a rather fitful night’s sleep. Her argument with James continued to play over and over in her mind. And when she would manage to steal a few moments of rest, her dreams were plagued with James and seeing hurt and anger in his face. When morning finally came, she looked drawn and forlorn. It wasn't long before Donna awoke and, on seeing Rose’s demeanor, began to interrogate her. Rose managed to hold off discussing last night’s events, promising to tell her everything but that she just needed a little time to herself to process. While Rose stayed curled up in bed, Donna went to wake the twins and get them ready for their class trip to the aquarium. As the girls hurriedly ran downstairs, Donna couldn’t help but notice that there was no trace of James or Reinette in the house. Given this and Rose’s disturbed mood, Donna couldn’t help but feel worried. 

The girls quickly finished their breakfast and Donna promptly dropped them off at school, anxious to make her way back to Rose and get answers about what exactly happened. When she got back, she found Rose showered and dressed for the day, curled up on the couch and reading. On hearing Donna’s arrival, she looked up at her and softly smiled. She appeared somewhat more at ease, but it was obvious she was still troubled. Donna walked over and took a seat beside her. 

“So…feel like talking now?” 

Rose sighed and quietly closed her book. Forcing a smile, she looked at her and said, “Let’s go get a coffee.”

***

An hour and a half later, Donna had been appraised of every event from the three years prior to what had happened last night. Needless to say, she didn’t take certain parts of the story very well—specifically the ones that came to her prat of a brother. 

“He. Said. _WHAT_?!” Donna growled over her now cold cappuccino. 

“SHH…not so loud,” Rose admonished. “I know he didn’t mean it. He’s not cruel like that...doesn’t change the fact that it hurt. It wasn’t like I was keepin’ it from ‘im. We just hadn’t had a chance to talk about everything—what with the snogging and then him bringing Reinette home. Wasn’t like we could have it out.” 

She leaned on the table and put her head between her hands, sighing in frustration. “Why can’t anything just ever be simple? I mean, three years! Three years and I finally get back and now he’s freaking out over something he doesn’t even really know about!”

Donna took a sip of her drink and grimaced as she tasted its temperature. “Y’know he’s always been and always will be jealous when it comes to you…and you’re the _exact_ same way with him. Don’t get me wrong—he was way outta line! And trust me, I’m gonna give him what for, believe you me!”

Rose groaned, crossed her arms on the table, and plopped her head down, her blonde hair scattering about her. 

“Y’know he’s just gonna obsess over this,” came Rose’s muddled voice. 

“Why don’t you just call up this ‘Jack’ bloke and the three of you have it out?” Donna suggested.

Rose lifted up her head and met Donna’s questioning gaze.

“Can’t. Don’t know his number. I don’t even know where he’s staying.”

Donna’s head faintly jerked back in surprise. “How do you not know? You spent all that time together and you have no idea where he could be?”

Rose shrugged. “I might have an idea or two. I know he’s got a stepsister, Gwen, and I figure he’d stay with her. But, I don’t know. Three years is a long time…things change, people move. And as soon as we docked, I hugged him goodbye and bolted for home.” She dramatically flopped her head down again. 

Donna nodded in understanding, but then a sudden thought struck her, and she snorted. 

“Too bad you can’t hire somebody,” she said with a teasing smile. 

Rose slowly lifted her head and stared at her. Donna could see the wheels turning in her mind, and her smile faltered. As a smile started to spread over Rose’s face, Donna began to shake her head.

“No…Rose, I was just joking! I know what you’re thinking and _don’t do it!_ ”

“Think about it, Red. I can have ‘im meet James, and that’ll calm ‘im down. That way, when I tell ‘im about the island, he won’t be freaking out about Jack, because he’ll have already met ‘im and see that there’s nothing to be jealous about. It’ll take care of everything!”

Donna began to rub her head. She could already see the chaos this plan would cause. Rose was just so desperate that she wasn’t thinking straight.

“Rose—it’s insane. It’s gonna backfire. Somehow, he’ll find out eventually, and then it’s all gonna go up in flames.”

Rose was too caught up in her ludicrous plan to listen to Donna. She began looking around the café for possible candidates. 

“I just gotta find someone James would never expect. Someone like…”

And then she found the perfect choice—a blonde man, somewhere around his mid to late twenties, average height, who was currently and repeatedly burning his fingers on the steam wand. 

“…him,” Rose said, pointing at her selection. 

Donna’s eyes followed where Rose indicated. Her eyebrows rose—Rose’s choice appeared the complete opposite of the “Jack” she had described earlier. Not that there was anything necessarily wrong with the man before her; he just seemed to be a little bit of a…well, a sad sack.

Donna felt the need to implore again. 

“Rose. This is _so_ _not_ a good idea. God,” she growled, “why can’t you two just talk things out? You both are so dense sometimes; I just wanna knock your heads together!”

Rose was still studying the man behind the counter.

“What are you gonna do? Walk up to ‘im and say ‘Excuse me. I was marooned on an island with this bloke for three years, and I need you to meet my jealous/paranoid husband and pretend to be him—you game?’”

“Yep,” Rose replied, standing up and walking over to the man in two strides, standing beside the counter and biding her time. 

After a moment, the man caught sight of her. “Can I help you?”

Rose’s eyes flitted to his nametag. “Yes…Elton. I was wondering—are you free for about an hour?” she asked, flashing him a warm smile.

Elton’s eyes widened and he began to stammer. “I-I-I’m flattered, miss, but I’m seeing someone. Well, not yet, but I’m workin’ on it. See, her name’s Ursula and she—“

“No, no, no, no,” Rose said firmly, waving her hands in front of her in protest. “I don’t mean that! I just was wondering if maybe you’d be able to help me out with somethin’.”

He eyed her curiously. “What is it?”

Sensing his imminent compliance, Rose’s smile broadened. 

“Well………”

***

Sally was beyond irritated at the events of the day. James had still offered no explanation about his bizarre behavior, instead choosing to rotate between grumbling under his breath and banging his head and/or fist on the desk. She was in the middle of a case study and James refused to leave the office, so she was stuck dealing with his bizarre and annoying behavior.

After the fifteenth time of James slamming his fist on the desk and grumbling about some “bloody island,” she cracked.

“Would you knock it off? Or at least tell me what’s goin’ on!”

James stopped mid-mental tirade and locked eyes with her. 

“I’m going to the bathroom,” he said and quickly left as Sally huffed in complete frustration. 

About ten minutes later, there was a soft knock as the door opened. 

“James?” asked a familiar voice. 

“He just stepped out for a mo’, Rose,” Sally answered as she focused on the file before her. As soon as she finished her sentence, her brain finally registered who she had just spoken to. She was instantly on her feet, the file forgotten and now laying at her feet. 

“Rose?”

“Hey, Sally…”

***

As James approached his office, he noticed a blonde man awkwardly leaning against the wall, fiddling with jacket as he kept his eyes to the ground. James figured he was waiting for something or someone, and didn’t feel the need to bother finding out more. He had more pressing things on his mind. When he opened the office door, he was instantly met with the image of Rose and Sally on the couch, their eyes red and cheeks tearstained. When they saw James, they stood, hurriedly wiped their eyes, and embraced.

Sally pulled away and hastily made her exit. As she passed James, she roughly slapped his arm.

“You daft git,” she muttered, closing the door behind her. 

James and Rose both remained fixed in place, regarding each other longingly.

He ran a hand through his hair. “Rose…I’m…I’m so sorry about what I said. It was crass and uncalled for and I honestly didn’t mean any of it. It’s just…the idea of you with someone else…it makes me sick.”

 _Likewise,_ she thought, but remained silent. Instead, she nodded her head in understanding. 

“I wasn’t hiding anything from you, y’know? We just…never had time to talk about everything—what with...Reinette and all.”

There was an awkward lull as that name hung in the air. 

Clearing her throat, Rose continued, “But…I know how upset you were, so…I tracked down Jack. Thought it would be good for you to meet ‘im and see there’s nothing to be jealous about.”

James eyes widened in surprise and slight terror. How would he explain his actions to Rose when Jack inevitably ratted him out? He gulped as Rose walked over and opened the door, motioning for Jack to come in. James held his breath as Ja-…

 _Wait…that’s NOT Jack!_

Instead of the dark haired American from earlier, James was now facing the awkward man who he’d seen earlier in the hallway. The man began to fidget under James’ intense scrutiny. James turned his gaze to Rose and raised an eyebrow questioningly.

Rose smiled nervously. “James, this is Jack Harkness. Jack, this is my husband, James.”

They awkwardly blanked each other before James finally extended his hand to “Jack.”

“Nice to meet you…Jack,” he said with a knowing smirk as the man shook his hand. 

“Uh…same here,” he shakily replied.

James motioned to chairs in front of his desk, and “Jack” quickly sat down. Rose took the seat next to him and James leaned against his desk, crossing his arms. Rose gave “Jack’s” hand a reassuring squeeze. He glanced sideways at her and gave a weak smile.

James cleared his throat and began, “So Mr. Harkness—can I call you Jack?”

The man’s forehead began to glisten as James addressed him. 

“Uh…yeah. Sure.”

James smirked again, a look not lost on Rose. 

“So…Jack, I understand you were stranded with, uh, _Rosie_.”

“Jack” glanced over at Rose, who faintly nodded at him. He turned back to James and took a hard swallow.

“Uh…yes. It was...three…,” he paused and looked to Rose, who smiled in silent confirmation. “Three years. We became good friends, but that’s it. When she tracked me down, she told me you were worried that maybe I’d tried something or that we fell for each other. I couldn’t let you think that, so I, uh…I decided I had to meet you and tell you in person that nothing happened. We’re just friends.”

James remained quiet. He glanced from Rose to “Jack” and smiled.

“Well, that’s good enough for me!”

“Really?” Rose and “Jack” asked together. 

“Yeah. I mean the important thing is you came here and told me the truth. And that’s all I really wanted.” 

“Well…,” Rose said slowly as she stood. “I guess ya can go now, Jack.” 

She gave him a quick hug. “Thanks for this.”

He nodded. “Sure. It was…uh, good to see you again, Rose. Take care,” he said and anxiously left.

“So…feel better now?” Rose asked, hopeful that James bought it and would finally let the subject drop.

He smiled at her, though Rose could tell there was something behind it. 

“How could I not?”

“Good…good.”

James shrugged his shoulders as he sighed. “I’m starved. You?”

“Famished,” she replied smiling.

He returned her smile. “Brilliant. I know just the place…”

***

Boeshane Tavern was packed with their usual lunchtime patrons, but James and Rose were seated in relatively short order. A young smiling waitress led them to one of the tables by the window, handing them each a menu after they sat down. 

Rose ran her eyes over her surroundings, smiling as her eyes met James’.

“I’ve never been here before. It’s nice.”

“Me neither. I just heard about it today and thought, ‘Why not?’”

Rose had this nagging sensation that something was going on with James. She could see something was off but couldn’t pinpoint it. She opened her mouth to ask him about it, but the words died on her tongue as an all too familiar voice called from behind her.

“Rosie?”  
  



	9. Chapter Nine

Rose’s eyes widened almost unnaturally when she heard that all too familiar American accent.

_Oh no. No, no, no, no, no, no…this is not happening! There is no way that this could be happening. Of all the places James co—_

Her frantic inner ramblings came to a sudden halt as she noticed the smug smirk plastered on James’ face, while he leant back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest. 

_He planned this! That bloody wanker planned this!! How could he poss—_

Before she realized what was happening, she was lifted up off her seat and pulled into a tight embrace, Jack’s strong muscular arms pulling her close to his chest. Gone was the remembered scent of sand and salt, and was replaced with an unfamiliar but pleasant cologne. They pulled back from each other and Rose was met with a brilliant smile from Jack. 

“Ah, Rosie,” he said elatedly and pressed a kiss to her forehead, flashing a winning smile afterwards. 

Rose couldn’t help but giggle at his enthusiasm and smiled genuinely at him, despite the incredibly awkward circumstance that they all found themselves in currently. The fact that Jack still had his arms around her waist didn’t help matters. 

“Dang, Rosie…I know it’s only been a couple days, but I swear you got hotter!” Jack said, pulling her just a tad closer than what would be considered “friendly.” That coupled with his rather flirty tone, earned him a pointed look from Rose. 

Before she could reprimand Jack for his overt flirtation, James let out a low growl. Rose pulled back from Jack and turned towards James. He was clearly angry that his supposed “brilliant” plan at exposing her deception had backfired; but then Jack put a possessive arm around her waist, and the change in his expression startled her. James’ whole body went rigid; his eyes became coal black and his jaw clenched with restrained fury. She’d never seen him appear so menacing. Quick to diffuse his obvious escalation, she stepped away from Jack and gestured to James. 

“Uh…Jack, this is my husband, James. James, this’s Jack Harkness. My _friend_ ,” she said with quiet emphasis. 

Up until that moment, Jack seemed to be oblivious to James’ presence; but at Rose’s introduction, he finally turned to acknowledge the man. Recognition flashed in Jack’s eyes when he saw James and he couldn’t help but smirk.

“Oh, we’ve met. Haven’t we, Doc?” Jack said in a knowing tone. Bits and pieces were mentally falling into place, and Jack couldn’t help but be highly amused—especially as he recalled the events of that morning. 

Rose’s eyes widened again at that sudden revelation, and her gaze flitted between the two men.

“Wha-…how?” she asked as she finally settled her confused gaze on James. His previously threatening demeanor instantly deflated and he shifted uncomfortably in his chair, refusing to meet her eyes.

Jack laughed at James’ obvious discomfort and sat down next to him. Jack patted the empty seat next to him and Rose silently sat down. The small size of the table made it impossible for there to be any sort of comfortable distance between them. Jack slapped James good-naturedly on the back, his grin sparkling.

“See, Rosie…the Doc here and I had a nice chat this morning.”

James scowled at him, shaking Jack’s hand off of his shoulder. Rose felt her brain sputter as she tried to process that new bit of information.

“Chat? What chat? Will one of you explain what’s going on?” Rose said, her confusion quickly turning into frustration.

Neither man moved to answer her, both of them continuing to blank each other.

“Don’t you have something else to do? I thought you were having lunch with your sister?” James said sharply. Jack’s close proximity to Rose continued to fuel James’ possessive anger and he was anxious to be rid of him. 

“Gwen’s running late. She-“

“How do you know he has a sister? What is goin’ on?!” Rose demanded, struggling to not shout.

“We met at the hospital. He was lost and I helped him,” James answered, though it was painfully obvious that more had happened than he was letting on.

Jack smirked. “Yeah…right after he spilt coffee on me. By the way, Dr. Erickson didn’t appreciate you using his office…or breaking his pen.”

James glared at him. 

Rose furrowed her brow in concentration at the mention of Dr. Erickson. 

_I know that name…how do I know that name?_

It suddenly dawned on her and she locked eyes with James. At seeing the fierce anger in her eyes, he began to nervously tug on his ear.

“Rose…”

“What did you do?” she asked pointedly.

James opened his mouth to speak but no words came out. Jack rolled his eyes and answered for him. 

“He pretended to be the shrink.”

Rose’s eyes flashed with fury. “You did _what_?!”

“I just asked him some questions, that’s all,” James defended.

“About what?!” she hissed. 

“You,” Jack said with a smile. 

“Can’t you just go back into whatever hole you crawled out of?” James spat. He’d had enough of Jack’s interfering. He felt a sudden pain to his shin, and realized Rose had just kicked him.

“Oi! Don’t be such a prat. ‘S not his fault you got caught! You’re the one who decided to come here!” she said while glaring at him.

James snorted in derision. “I wouldn’t have had to come here if you had just been honest with me instead of parading around some sniveling little man as this—this…” 

“American Adonis?” Jack offered, but neither of them heard him as they were too focused on one another.

“ _Oh!_ _OH!_ Don’t you even _dare_ lecture me about honesty!” Rose barked. 

“This isn’t about Reinette. This is-“

“Who’s Reinette?” Jack inquired, cutting James off. He knew that his question would most likely further their escalation, but he reckoned the answer would help his own endgame. 

“No one!” James snapped. His answer wasn’t just to deflect Jack; it was how he genuinely felt. To James, Reinette _was_ no one—even though he hadn’t worked up the gall to tell _her_ that.

“Can’t be ‘no one’ if it has Rosie all fired up like this,” Jack responded, giving her a _long_ appreciative look. 

“Quit leering at my wife, Harkness,” James growled as a storm began to brew in his eyes once again. 

Rose gave a brief look around her, before looking back at him and placing a hand on her chest. 

“Oh, you mean _me_?” Rose said, her voice tinged with sarcasm. “For a minute, I thought Reinette had decided to join our little party.”

Jack put his hand out into the middle of the table, as if calling a timeout. 

“Wait…Reinette’s your wife? You have _two_ wives? Huh…never would have pegged you as a polygamy sorta guy.”

“I’m _not_ ,” James growled at him. “It’s just a little misunderstanding—one that I will be correcting.”

“Oh yeah? When, James?” Rose scoffed, her harsh tone trying to hide the hurt in her heart. “Because you keep saying that, and still nothing…you’ve got two wives and I’ve got—“

“Me,” Jack unexpectedly replied.

James snapped his eyes toward Jack, his fury brimming but not breaking.

“You have a death wish, _Adam_?” James snarled. 

Jack just smirked at him, seemingly impervious to James and his escalating rage.

Rose finally turned and looked at Jack, frowning as she did so. 

“Jack, this _really_ isn’t the time for jokes. I ‘precia—“

“I wasn’t joking, Rose,” he said determinedly.

Her eyes widened as she realized his sincerity. He’d almost never called her Rose, only doing so when their circumstances had appeared bleak or serious. The fact that he was using it _now_ —it was unsettling. The skies outside began to darken, appropriately mirroring the atmosphere around the three of them.

“What?!” Rose and James said in unison. She just sat there gobsmacked, her mouth slightly agape. James sat there gripping the edge of his seat, his knuckles white as he tried to restrain himself.

Jack moved his chair closer to Rose to where they were practically touching. 

“I’m serious, Rosie. Pretty much from the moment I met you I felt something…and then spending those years with you, I—“

“Are you seriously declaring yourself to _my_ wife? With me sitting right here?” James said, practically seething.

Jack turned his focus to the man in front of him, his eyes cold and challenging. 

“From what I just heard, you already have a wife…Rose is free to do what she wants. You seem to have made your decision. If you really cared about Rose, you would’ve taken care of it by now. Besides…I know how to take care of her—did it for three years. What she deserves is a real man—which you _clearly_ are not!”

James’ entire body locked in place. He clenched his jaw, muffling a growl. His eyes became almost inhumane with rage at this man. It wasn’t that he was challenging his masculinity—it was the fact he was trying to take Rose, that he questioned his adoration of her, that his words had struck a mark. The weather outside began to intensify and thunder rumbled overhead, equaling the storm within him.

“Jack, don’t say—,” Rose started but James quickly cut her off.

“You’re a real arrogant piece of work, you know that?” he snarled. “What makes you think you know anything about Rose, hmm? That you love her even a _fraction_ of what I do? That y—“

“Well for starters, I wouldn’t choose another woman over her,” Jack bit back. 

“I did _not_ choose another woman over her! I’m trying to handle this the best way I can. I would _never_ choose another woman over Rose. I’ll always choose her. No question!”

Jack snorted in derision. “Really? Because Rose seems to question it, don’t ya Rosie?” he said turning towards her. 

It was then that both men suddenly realized Rose had managed to slip away during their argument. Without a word, they quickly stood up and rushed out the door after her. The clouds finally broke and the rain began to steadily fall. Fortunately, she hadn’t gotten very far.

“Rose!” the two men called out in unison.

She turned around, strands of wet blonde hair clinging to her cheeks. She made eye contact with them but quickly turned around and resumed her trek away from them, traces of hurt and confusion evident. They sprinted to meet her, James reaching her first. He gently grabbed her arm, turning her towards him.

“Rose, you’re practically soaked. C’mon…I’ll—“

Jack grabbed her other arm. “Gwen doesn’t live too far from here. I can take—“

“Hands. Off. My. Wife,” James snapped. 

“Which one?” Jack taunted. 

Rose had had enough. She shook herself out of their grasps. 

“Stop it!” she shouted as another clap of thunder echoing across the sky. “Just stop! I’m not some piece of meat for you two to fight over. I don’t need you to make decisions for me about who I should and shouldn’t be with!”

She turned on her heel to leave but a passerby knocked into her, causing her to fumble backwards and her ankle to roll. She cried out in pain and landed hard on the pavement. Both men were at her side in an instant. James knelt beside her, taking her ankle in his hands and tenderly examining the muscles and feeling for any break. Though the rain had chilled her to the bone, it was James’ touch that sent shivers throughout her. He looked up at her, their eyes locking and her breath hitching. 

“Well, it’s not broken. Do you think you can stand?” he asked softly, his words full of concern.

“I’m not sure,” she said as she reached her arms out for assistance. Each man took hold of an arm, but as Rose put slight pressure on her foot, she felt a sharp pain radiate through her ankle. She cried out again and sank back to the ground. 

“C’mere Rosie, “ Jack said and moved to lift her up again. James darted his hand out and grabbed his arm fiercely.

“Back. Off,” he said, his tone broking no questions and conveying his territorial stance. 

This time, Jack seemed somewhat apprehensive and he moved back from Rose. He quickly masked his uneasiness with a cocky grin. 

“Ya know what, Doc? I’m gonna let you have this one. After all, you won’t have her much longer.”

James scowled at him, his rage at the brink. Jack leaned forward to kiss Rose’s forehead. In one swift movement, James put an arm under her knees and lifted her into his arms. Instinctively, her arms wrapped around his neck. 

Jack looked somewhat impressed at James’ deceptive strength. He smirked, but his face softened as he looked at Rose. 

“I’ll be seeing you soon, Rosie,” he said assuredly before turning and walking back to the tavern.

James looked down at her, her warm eyes looking up at him with intense love but also marred with sadness. It was the latter that pierced his heart. 

_I have to fix this…now_

He pulled her closer to him, both of then soaked through and chilled. He pressed a kiss into her wet locks.

“Let’s go home.”


	10. Chapter Ten

Though they only lived about ten minutes away from Boeshane’s Tavern, the journey home felt interminable. The silence was strained and the tension palpable, almost bordering on smothering. James tried repeatedly to capture Rose’s attention, but to no avail. She persisted in keeping her eyes fixated out the window, tears and droplets mixing as they trailed down her face. Though he couldn’t see her face, James knew she was in pain and he fiercely chided himself for being the cause of it. At one point, he put his hand over hers but the gesture fell flat as she allowed her hand to remain still, ignoring his touch even though she desperately wanted it. Despite her lack of response, James’ hand remained steadfastly on top of hers. He’d had a brutal awakening today and he was not about to give up on anything, even if it was over something as small as handholding. 

It wasn’t too much longer before they finally arrived home. James pulled the car in front of the house and hurriedly went to help Rose out of the car. It was fortunate that he was quick on his feet, because Rose already had her door open and was attempting to exit the vehicle on her own despite the lingering pain in her ankle. He reached his arms out and caught her as she teetered to the side. Her eyes flitted upwards and momentarily locked with his before she turned them downward again.

“Thanks,” she mumbled weakly.

“Of course,” he said with a soft smile. He braced an arm around her as she tried to hobble towards the steps. She accidently put pressure on her foot and hissed as a sharp pain radiated through her already throbbing ankle.

Instinctively, James’ arm tightened around her as he heard her pain. 

“Rose, let me—“

“’M fine, James. I just wasn’t paying attention,” she said halfheartedly. 

She took a few more hobbled steps before she again pressed on her ankle, this time resulting in a more intense pain. James refused to hear anymore of her weak excuses. Once again, he lifted her up and cradled her to him. It felt natural to be held by him, completing her in a way. However, the hurt in her heart prevented her from relishing the rather intimate gesture. 

“James, please put me down. I’m fi—“

“Hush,” he commanded, though his tone was anything but harsh. 

In spite of herself, she settled into his embrace, allowing herself a fleeting moment of contentment. Somehow, James managed to unlock the door and still securely hold onto her. They entered the foyer and he closed the door with his foot. For a moment, he remained fixed in the middle of the foyer as if trying to determine what direction to take. Rose was still sopping wet and the cool air circulating through the house was beginning to chill her. 

“James…I’m wet; I’m cold; and I’m tired. I just want a hot shower and a kip. So, just put me down and you can go do…whatever. No sense in wasting your time waiting on me—I can take care of myself,” Rose said in mild defeat.  
  
This was a new emotion for her. She had always been a fighter—never one to back down from challenges or perceived impossibilities. On the island, she had fought day in and day out for three years, never once giving up though the circumstances at times seemed insurmountable. Even when she lost her grandfather, the worst time in her life, she had never felt defeated. But now—now she was confused and hurt and everything came crashing in on her from all sides. The only emotion left standing was defeat, and she loathed it.

James looked at her in utter bewilderment and incredulity at such a statement. This wasn’t the Rose he knew. 

_What have I done to her?_

“First off—I’m never wasting my time when I’m with you. And second—I know you are more than capable of taking care of yourself, but maybe I _want_ to take care of you. Ever think of that?”

Her eyes flashed with hope before she quickly pushed it away. She looked off to the side and fidgeted nervously in his arms. 

“Yeah…well…,” she trailed off, unsure of how to respond to that. 

James sighed softly and made his way up the stairs. He took her into their room and gently let her down in front of the door to the en suite. 

“I can manage from here,” Rose said softly. 

James frowned at her. “Rose, you can barely walk. Just let me—“

“No…really. I can manage. Just…if you could get me some of my clothes from Donna’s room, I’d ‘preciate it,” she said, turning and closing the door before he could argue the subject. 

James stared at the door for a few moments before running a hand through his hair in frustration. He wasn’t frustrated with her in the slightest; it was all self-directed. He heard the water turn on and finally tore himself away from the door, and went to Donna’s room. He saw his shirt, the one Rose had worn last night, lying on the bed. He smiled as he remembered the sight of her. Granted, he’d been a ridiculous prat at the moment; but the vision of her still took his breath away—then and now. 

He walked over to the shopping bags that were obviously Rose’s and began looking for something to give her to wear. He searched through a couple of bags before a certain pink one caught his attention. He looked over his shoulder towards the door, almost as if he was a little child afraid of being caught red-handed. He gingerly picked up the bag and began searching through its contents, his eyes widening as he did so. He felt a warm blush creep up his neck as he realized just exactly why Rose had chosen to sleep in his shirt last night and not in something she bought. 

The small remaining rational part of his brain began to chastise him. _Oi! Quit gawking and focus!_

Reluctantly, he put the bag to the side and continued with his original search. He finally found a bag of denims and pulled out a pair, and then reached over and picked out a shirt from another bag. He realized she would need undergarments and began looking for a bag containing those—steadfastly avoiding the pink bag from earlier. He quickly found what he needed and went back to the en suite. He turned the handle to enter, but the door remained closed. It had been locked.

 _It can’t be locked. Maybe it’s just jammed_ …

James tried again but was met with the same outcome. She’d locked the door on him. It felt like a blow to the stomach. Before the whole island fiasco, they’d been together for four years and she’d never once locked the door on him—even after the times they’d rowed. He was pulled from his wounded thoughts by the sound of the water turning off. He could hear her moving around, grumbling in pain, and it tore at him inside that he couldn’t get to her. He heard her approach the door and he took a small step back as she opened it. She was wrapped in a large terrycloth towel, hair wet and clinging to her neck and shoulders. She looked so fragile and childlike.

James awkwardly cleared his throat as he handed her the clothes.

“Here you go.”

“Thanks,” she said softly, taking the clothes and holding them to her damp body. 

James tugged nervously on his ear. “I, uh…I tried to come in to help you but the door was…locked.”

Rose kept her head down and nodded. “Yeah, I locked it.”

“You…you’ve never locked me out before,” James responded, the pain in his voice apparent. 

“I never had a reason to,” she said softly.

Those words knocked the wind out of him. 

_How could I have not seen things clearly? How could I have hurt her like this?_

Rose turned back into the bathroom and closed the door, again locking it behind her. 

“Rose,” he started as he tried to turn the knob. He sighed when it wouldn’t budge. He remained pressed against the door. He was _not_ giving up. The source of his whole world was behind that bloody door and he was not just going to walk away. 

“Rose? Rose, please unlock the door,” he earnestly pleaded as he jiggled the handle. 

No reply.

“Fine,” he sighed. “If I have to do it this way, then fine... I’m an idiot. A daft, bloody, ridiculously dense idiot. I…I should have taken care of everything the moment I saw you. Weelll, maybe not the exact moment I saw you…maybe the minute _after_ we snogged each other senseless.”

He was fairly certain he heard a chuckle at that last statement, but it became quiet again.

“I went up to the room and started to tell her, but the words just couldn’t come out. For all my brilliant gob, I couldn’t get more than ‘We have to leave’ out. I didn’t even give her a chance to ask questions. I just grabbed the luggage and left. I…I—“

He heard Rose fiddle with the lock and he stepped back. The door slowly opened and Rose stood before him, fully dressed and leaning against the frame for support. There was a look of desperation in her eyes. 

“Why…why didn’t you—“

“Tell her?” James finished.

Rose faintly nodded her head. 

“I don’t know…,” he answered but then changed his mind. “No, no that’s not true. I do know.”

Rose’s eyes sought his and filled with terror that his next words would shatter her world. 

James ran a hand angrily through his hair and let out a harsh breath. 

“It’s because I’m a coward. That’s what it boils down to,” he finally admitted to her, to himself. 

Relief flooded Rose’s features and she silently released the breath she had been unconsciously holding. 

“You’re not a—“

“No…don’t try to placate me. It’s the truth. And then I said those things to you…I was cruel. I deserved more than just that slap. I just couldn’t get past the idea of someone else being with you for all those years. Just the idea that he was there when _I_ couldn’t be…and when I saw him, I went mad. I tried to find out how he felt about you and…just the little bit he told me made my blood boil. Then when you brought in that blonde fellow to pose as Jack, I thought I’d show you. But when that, that—,” James took a steadying breath as his rage began to brew again. “When he hugged you, when he _looked_ at you…I’ve never wanted to strangle someone so much in my life.”

Rose bit her lip to hide a traitorous smile. James saw it though, and it spurred him on.

“I saw…,” he took a hard swallow and continued, “I saw the way he looked at you and I know you care for him. But when he said he wanted you…I’ve never been so terrified in my life. Because after all of my _stupid_ blunders, you could’ve easily said yes. And the thought of you choosing to leave me hurt worse than thinking I’d lost you accidently. I know I don’t deserve you…I’ve never deserved you and especially now after everything. And Reinette…”

She looked at him, her eyes wide and shining with unshed tears.

James ran a hand through his hair again. “I was so tired of being lonely. Every morning, I woke up and felt this…void, and I was just so desperate for the pain to stop. But even when I was with her…it never stopped; it never went away. And that’s because she wasn’t you. You’re what I need—what I’ve always needed. I need you more than anything in life. It nearly killed me when I thought you were gone forever. The…the only thing that kept me from surrendering was knowing I still had the girls. Every day, I got to look at them and see you, see the perfect gifts you gave me. But when I saw you in the lobby, I felt…I felt alive for the first time in three years. You’re the most important part of who I am and without you—I’m not whole…and I never will be. Rose…please… _please_ forgive me,” James begged, his eyes blazing with passion, with sincerity. 

Rose stood before him completely transfixed and silent. A few tears broke free and trailed down her cheeks.

“I can’t—“

Panic overtook James as she formed those syllables, and he cut her off. 

“Rose, I’m begging you. I’ll—“

Now it was her turn to cut him off. “No, I can’t stand like this much longer. My ankle’s killin’ me, and how am I s’posed to kiss you if you're all the way over there?” 

James stood there for a moment, mouth slightly agape. As realization sank in, a brilliant smile overtook him and in two strides he was holding her flush against him. He cradled her head and eagerly captured her lips, desperately kissing her. She instinctively threw her arms around his neck, threading her fingers through his hair and quickly surpassing the intensity with which he started the kiss. This was where they belonged--with each other. Time was instantly suspended and neither of them knew how much had passed by as they desperately clung to each other, becoming one single entity.

However, the moment was abruptly cut short.

“Daaaaaddddyyy!!” resonated through the room followed by two little hands tightly clutched around his leg. 

James and Rose broke apart, both trying to discretely catch their breath as Sarah looked up at them curiously. James adored his children, but he was highly annoyed with having his time with Rose cut prematurely. But on seeing her smiling face and wide eyes, he put his agitation at bay.

“Hi, sweetie,” he said, looking down and smiling affectionately at her. He moved a step back as he heard footsteps approach, Sarah still attached to his leg. 

“You little monkey,” Rose teased her, eliciting a string of giggles and monkey calls from the little girl.

Zoe appeared at the door followed by Donna. Donna took in James and Rose’s expressions and surmised what had been transpiring before Sarah’s intrusion. Looking at them, she raised an eyebrow but didn’t ask any questions. Instead she held up her hand, holding James’ mobile.

“You dropped this in the hall. Looks like you have several messages,” she said, tossing it to him. 

He caught it and quickly accessed his voicemail. Donna made eye contact with Rose and gave her a small knowing smirk, causing Rose to bite her lip and blush. Donna snorted at her “caught schoolgirl” reaction. James turned to Rose, his expression a mixture of concern and confusion. 

“’S everythin’ okay?” she asked concernedly.

James furrowed his brow before looking at her and smoothing his features. 

“Not sure. Sally left like eight messages telling me that I need to get over to the hospital.” On seeing the worry in her eyes, he smiled at her. “I’m sure it’s nothing. I’ll pop over there and find out what it is and then take care of ‘you know who’ once and for all.” 

Rose smiled and nodded. He grinned at her and captured her lips in a soft kiss. 

Sarah disengaged herself from James started running through the room with Zoe. “Daddy loves Miss Tyler. Daddy loves Miss Tyler,” the two girls began to singsong, causing James and Rose to chuckle. 

Once again, he pulled her close. “You bet your life I do,” he affirmed while Rose grinned at him. He turned to leave, then remembered that she was injured. “You want me to help you downstairs, love?”

She shook her head. “No, I’m good. I’m just gonna have a quick lie down. See you soon, yeah?”

“Yeah,” he said as he gave her another quick kiss and headed for the door, Donna slapping him upside the head as he walked by her.

“Oi! What was that for?”

“You bloody well know why!” she retorted and the two of them walked off bickering.

Rose smiled and sighed contentedly. She took a few small steps over to the bed and after pulling back the covers, sank into plush mattress. Zoe and Sarah quickly got in beside her, snuggling close to her. Finally feeling at home, Rose closed her eyes and before long drifted to sleep.

***

This had gone on long enough. It was time to deal with the situation at hand and finally set this matter straight. No one was expecting them, which is what made this the opportune time to have it out. The silence was unceremoniously shattered.

“You and I need to talk.”


	11. Chapter Eleven

Reinette was angry. No, not angry—she was furious. Never in her life had she been treated so contemptibly. Jamie had spent virtually no time with her since their wedding. And during the time that he _had_ spent with her, that chav, Eve, had been there. It was abundantly clear that there was something between them; Reinette may have been blonde, but she was definitely not dumb. Jamie had practically ogled at the sight of Eve when she had entered the living room. And Eve…well there was something about Eve that Reinette couldn’t pinpoint. Whatever it was though, of one thing Reinette was absolutely certain—she did _not_ like her. From the moment she laid eyes on her, Reinette knew that Eve was a problem—one that needed immediate attention. Unfortunately, her efforts to enlighten the classless trollop had apparently been too subtle, and Eve had shown no sign of defeat. Worse, she had _stayed_ and Jamie had left Reinette upstairs alone to spend time with her and those two unrelenting little chatterboxes. When he had finally shown his face, Reinette could tell that there was something he wanted to say but then he scampered off at the first opportunity. After almost two hours of waiting, she had searched for him but he was nowhere to be found. Once she became aware of that, she quickly verified whether or not Eve was still in the house. On seeing that she was, Reinette quickly threw some essentials into an overnight bag and took a taxi to her sister’s house. She needed a place to think, to plan.

It was almost eleven when Reinette finally arrived and, using her spare key, let herself in.

“Cassandra?” she called out while moving further into the house. 

Cassandra came out of the den clad in a long, silk leopard print nightgown and robe, her long blood red nails encircling a ridiculously large goblet of equally red wine. Though Cassandra was almost ten years older, Reinette’s impeccable surgical skills made it nearly impossible to distinguish the younger sister from the older.

“Reinette?” Cassandra inquired as she sauntered towards her. “Darling, what on _earth_ are you doing here at this hour? I thought you said James—,” she stopped abruptly as she took in Reinette’s countenance. There was no trace of sadness or despair about her. Her eyes were cold, almost calculating, and she looked the epitome of indignation. 

“I’ll get more wine…”

***

Two hours and one and a half bottles later, Cassandra had been appraised of the events of the last twenty-four hours and was as equally enraged as her sister. 

“And you didn’t take care of that blonde inbreed? Reinette, I thought you had more sense than that!” she chastised. “You’ve worked so hard to get where you are. Are you just going to lie down and roll over like a dog, while that trashy bit of skirt tries to take your place?”

Reinette stiffened at Cassandra’s reprimand. “Well, what am I supposed to do? It’s clear that she has some sort of power over him—whatever it is! It’s almost like he… _loves_ her or something. What am I supposed to do with that? I mean I’m fond of him, but…”

Cassandra snorted at such an absurd notion. “Darling, this has nothing to do with love. This whole thing is a business transaction; and she’s nothing but a new competitor. And what did Daddy always tell us to do with competitors?”

“Crush them,” she said assuredly as her lips curled into a smile. 

Cassandra matched her smile with a wicked one of her own. 

“Precisely...”

***

Rose only slept roughly about twenty minutes after James left, but it was by far the most refreshing sleep she’d had in three years. She’d awakened to find Zoe and Sarah still nestled into each side of her. She laid there for a few moments, taking in every detail she could about them. Like the way Zoe gently snored, almost like a hum. Or, that Sarah had the same freckles as James. Rose brushed a few curls out of Sarah’s face with one hand before taking the other hand and softly stroking Zoe's cheek in reverence. Her attention was swiftly diverted as she moved her feet under the duvet, causing her ankle to throb though not as painfully as before. 

Donna walked past the open bedroom door and Rose called out to her for assistance.

“Red!” she called, then winced as she realized the pitch of her voice could’ve easily awoken the girls. 

Donna stopped and backtracked to the bedroom door. Her gaze met Rose’s and she smiled.

“Sleep good?” 

“Better than good,” Rose beamed as she sat up, careful not to disturb the sleeping figures next to her. 

“Nice dreams, then?” she asked, leaning against the doorway. 

“ _Amazing_ dreams,” Rose said somewhat exaggeratedly, but it was all in an effort to rib Donna. In fact, she hadn’t dreamt at all.

Donna held her hand up. “Please _don’t_ elaborate.”

Rose grinned and chuckled at her reaction. “Oh shut it! I was just havin’ ya on. Can you help me get downstairs? My ankle’s still a mess.”

It took some concentrated effort, but Donna was able to help Rose out of bed without waking Zoe and Sarah. When they reached the stairs, Donna stood on one side and helped brace her while Rose clung to the stair railing and began her descent. In relatively short order, they were on the ground floor and Donna helped Rose to the couch and Donna went to make them some tea. She had absolutely no doubt there were many juicy tidbits about the afternoon just waiting to be dished, and she wanted to be properly prepared to hear them entirely. Rose saw the girls’ copy of _Pride & Prejudice_ near her. She reached over and pulled the book to her, flipping through the pages and smiling each time she came to a messily colored illustration. She couldn’t help but become lost in thought with each turn of the page. 

“You and I need to talk.”

Rose’s entire body came to attention at the sound of that odious voice, and she slowly turned her head to meet its source. She was not surprised in the slightest to see Reinette; she was, however, taken very off guard by the appearance of the other artificial blonde with her. Rose raised an eyebrow appraisingly at them. Reinette obviously had a specific intent based on her mannerisms and sudden statement. Bottle Blonde No. 2 had this air about her, almost as if her role was to intimidate and threaten Rose into submission. The idea of this stretched flap of skin doing anything remotely threatening caused Rose to snort in amusement. The two women before her didn’t appreciate any humor in the situation and glared icily at her. It hadn’t even really started, and yet Rose was already tired of this stint.

“And just what exactly do we need to talk about?” Rose said. Her voice was strained as she tried to maintain her composure and some semblance of politeness.

Reinette straightened her posture as she addressed Rose. “Actually, I misspoke. It’s more like I’m going to talk and you’re going to sit there and listen silently. I’ll even use small words so you’ll understand.”

Rose raised her eyebrows questioningly. “Excuse me?”

“She seems slow. Maybe you should try drawing pictures,” Bottle Blonde No. 2 chimed in as she moved closer to Reinette.

Rose bit her tongue as she tried to keep her anger in check. Even though this woman made her blood scorch through her veins, she refused to let Reinette or this new ninny get the better of her. She released a slow breath to steady her emotions before she spoke again.

“I believe you had somethin’ ya wanted to say. So, if ya don’t mind—get on with it.”

Reinette took a step forward towards Rose and crossed her arms. “Let’s be honest, shall we? I loathe you. You’re unrefined and ill-bred. And the fact that you’ve set your sights on Jamie, someone _clearly_ above your class and worth, screams to everyone that you lack not only common decency, but intelligence as well. I’m not sure what sort of relationship you _think_ you have with him, but let me assure you that he feels nothing for you. I mean, how could he?” she sneered as she gave her a once over. 

Rose stood up and turned so she could better face Reinette, the excruciating pain in her ankle forgotten as adrenaline and rage coursed through every fiber of her being.

“Are you finished?” she asked with an eerie calmness.

Reinette smirked and took another step closer towards Rose, though still remained outside of her reach. “Not quite. Before I let you go pack, I want to give you a friendly word of advice—know your place. This,” she gestured around her, “this is beyond you. Don’t reach for the stars when you’re so low to the ground. It only ends in disappointment.” 

Rose tasted something bitter and realized she had drawn blood from her tongue. She wanted nothing more than to tear into this pretentious beast before her, but she was fighting to maintain the moral high ground. She clenched and released her fists several times, struggling to divert her building fury away from her core.

“Alright, you’ve said your piece, now I’ll say mine. You don’t know a single thing about me. You don’t know _who_ I am or _what_ I mean to James, what we mean to each other. You obviously think I’m trying to take your place, which is rather amusing when you stop ‘n think about it."

“And why’s that?” Reinette said hotly, completely taken aback and irritated by Rose’s challenging demeanor.

“Because it was never yours to begin with. I can’t take something that’s already mine. You seriously think you know anything? You didn’t even know that James can’t stand being called ‘Jamie,’ and y’think you know how he feels about me? You just natter on like you’re the bloody authority on everythin’. You’re the most—“

“What are you two doing here?” Donna’s voice suddenly demanded. 

Reinette and Bottle Blonde No. 2 turned to look at Donna, both of them clearly surprised and annoyed with her arrival.

"Oh, perfect. The Ginger Banshee decides to make an entrance," Bottle Blonde No. 2 sneered.

"Oi! Leave Donna outta this and keep your cheap shots to me!" Rose snapped, feeling her fierce protectiveness starting to emerge. She didn't respond well to her family being attacked.

"It's okay, Rose. I know how to handle Cassandra. Just give her a bottle of whatever, and she's like a kid with a lolly."

Cassandra and Donna exchanged heated glares. Obviously, there was no love lost there.

"Rose? You said your name was Eve," Reinette asked, spinning back around to look at her intently.

"’Eve’ is a nickname a friend gave me. My real name’s Rose. It’s just one more thing you’re clueless about. You may think you’re better than me, but the truth is you’re not. What kind of person gets their kicks from tearing others down? Ya talk ‘bout me being ‘ill-bred and classless’ but every vile word that comes outta your mouth proves that _you’re_ the classless cow. Now get out of my house!”

“Listen here, you cheap bint,” Reinette snarled, “ _I’m_ Jamie’s wife and this is _my_ house, so if—“

“Why’s everybody yellin’?” a small, tired voice asked. 

All of them turned to see Zoe at the bottom of the stairs, her little fists rubbing the sleep from her eyes. 

“ZoZo, sweetheart, why don’t ya go upstairs and play for a bit? I’ll be up soon, ‘kay?” Rose said soothingly, smiling softly at her.

“M’kay. Can we get chips when Sarah wakes up? Oh, and milkshakes like we di—“

“Just stop nattering and go upstairs!” Reinette shouted at the little girl. 

Zoe jerked back at Reinette’s sharp outburst, but fearfully remained where she stood.

“Go!” Cassandra snapped.

Tears formed in Zoe’s eyes as she turned around and ran up the stairs. Rose felt an unstoppable force overtake her as she saw the frightened look in Zoe’s eyes. Fire burned within her and her eyes sparked with uncontrollable rage. These two cows could say what they wanted about _her_ and treat _her_ like dirt—that’s fine; she could handle it. But, they were _not_ going to treat her baby like that!

“ _THAT’S IT!!_ ” Rose growled and lunged at Reinette, grabbing a handful of her blonde hair and yanking with every ounce of strength she possessed. Reinette staggered further into the living room, almost tumbling to the ground, but catching herself at the last minute. Reinette stared wide-eyed at Rose, stunned that she had actually put her hands on her. Donna and Cassandra, too, seemed dumbfounded at what had transpired. Rose stood fuming in front of Reinette, angry breaths ravaging her body. Her wild eyes were blazing and she appeared almost feral.

“Don’t you _EVER_ treat my children that way! You’ve got exactly ten seconds to get your sorry bum outta this house before I tear out every single one of your extensions and strangle you with them, you bloody chav!”

Reinette continued to stand there, mouth slightly agape. 

“One!” Rose counted.

“You’re a bloody psychopath!” Cassandra shrieked.

Rose continued undeterred. “Two!”

“Both of you leave!” Donna commanded firmly. A tendril of frantic worry began to grow within her as she watched the scene play out before her. Rose was escalating and those two were just standing there gaping like idiots. 

But the standstill shattered in an instant as Reinette unexpectedly retaliated, grabbing Rose’s hair and clawing at whatever she could reach. Rose was shocked at Reinette’s attack, but it faded just as quickly as it had presented itself and she instinctually reacted. Reinette had surprising strength, but Rose clearly had the upper hand. This woman had pawed her husband and made her children cry— _twice_. The resulting fury from those actions was enough to fuel Rose for days.

As Rose and Reinette’s territorial aggression escalated, Cassandra flew into a flurried panic and whipped out her mobile, dialing frantically. Donna ran upstairs to make sure the girls were preoccupied. She found them playing quietly in their room, and instructed them to remain upstairs until she came for them before dashing back to Rose.  
  
The scene hadn’t changed much since she had left. Cassandra was hovering near them, making a show of intervening but no real attempt to do so. Donna pushed her out of the way and began pulling at one of them, unsure which one she was actually touching. With one more rough pull, they parted and Rose fumbled back onto the couch while Reinette stumbled but remained standing in the middle of the floor. Both of them were panting, Reinette a little more so than Rose. Both were flushed with a mixture of anger and exertion. Reinette still seemed flustered by what had just happened, but maintained a defensive stance. Rose’s untamed fury seemed to have subside to a degree, but could still be seen simmering just below the surface. Donna positioned herself between them, her hands slightly extended upward as if keeping the two of them at bay. 

“Alright! This has gone _beyond_ far enough! Cassandra, take Reinette and leave before someone loses their head—literally!” 

“I don’t think so!” Cassandra shrilled. “This _animal_ attacked my sister. The only one who’s leaving is _her_ in a bloody police car,” she said pointing to Rose. 

Donna scowled at her. “You and your sister are the ones who started all this trouble. Now. Get. Out!”

Flashing lights appeared outside the window and before anything further could be said, Cassandra rushed to the front door. She returned almost immediately with two officers. 

Donna’s eyes widened as a plethora of emotions rushed over her. “You called the police?”

“Of course, I did,” Cassandra sniggered. 

Donna began to panic, and suddenly, everything became inaudible. Her eyes immediately went to Rose who appeared rather calm as the officer helped her from the couch and handcuffed her. He began leading her towards the door and Rose flashed a small smile. She mouthed something that Donna couldn’t decipher due to her current state of shock. Another officer moved towards Reinette and began to handcuff her as well, sending her into visible hysterics. She began to jerk away from their grasp as Cassandra pushed them away from her. Donna sunk to the couch as two additional officers came in to assist. Cassandra began to thrash around at them as they approached her. They were finally able to restrain both Cassandra and Reinette and led them out of the house as an officer—the superior ranking based on his stance—approached Donna. Muffled sounds finally began to reach her ears as he addressed her.

“……in for questioning. Do you understand?” he asked in a firm, yet polite, voice.

Donna forced herself out of her daze and did her best to focus her attention on the man before her. “Um…I’m sorry?”

The burly man gave a low exasperated sigh. “We’ll be taking ‘em in and needing you to come down after you give your statement.” Without waiting for further questions or clarification, he turned and left. Donna ran a worried hand through her hair and hurried over to her purse, pulling out her mobile. She was at the end of her rope and events where spiraling out of control at an alarming pace. She decided it was time to call the person whose idiocy had started this insanity train into motion. Donna forced herself to breathe as the phone began to ring.

_He better bloody well answer or Rose won’t be the only one in jail!_


	12. Chapter Twelve

Sally was fit to be tied. All she wanted was a normal day with normal chaos. Instead, James had shown up, decided to go completely barmy, and now, she was caught up in his insane mess. She dialed his number for the eleventh time, grumbling the entire time.

_James, I swear to god I'm gonna kill you..._

She fully expected the call to go to voicemail just as it had every other time. Instead, as the phone rang, she heard a pop ringtone get louder as it drew near to her. James suddenly rounded the corner, looking utterly annoyed as they made eye contact. His demeanor instantly put her on edge, making her defensive. 

_Where’s he get off gettin’ upset at me?_

Sally had several questions and it was about time that she got some answers. She marched up to him, her brow furrowed and eyeing him sharply.

“First of all, where have you bloody been? Second, what on earth is goin’ on? And third, why do you have a Spice Girls ringtone?”

James did his best to squelch his irritated scowl, but he couldn’t hide the annoyance in his voice. “Well first, I’ve been out. Second, it’s complicated but I’m taking care of it. And third, I don’t know why. Donna had my phone last and she’s still miffed with me over everything. But, seriously who cares? Why have you been ringing me up nonstop?”

Sally narrowed her eyes at him as she crossed her arms. “Well, I wouldn’t ‘v had to if you’d answer your bleedin’ mobile the _first_ time!”

“Sally, please just get on with it!” James grumbled.

Her eyes widened as she exhaled her frustration and focused her attention away from her anger. “Harriet’s been looking for you for hours and I had to cover for your sorry bum! Erickson found out ‘bout your lil’ stunt earlier, and he ran and tattled to her. Now, she wants you in her office. She cornered me in the lift and asked for you. I told her you’d be there in a half hour–that was forty five minutes ago. So, get in there before we both get sacked!”

***

Harriet Jones had been Director of Medicine for thirty years; and in that time, she had seen countless physicians come and go, some of them not soon enough. And while there were many talented physicians working within St. Timothy's, Harriet could count on one hand the truly exceptional ones. James Arden was one of those exceptions. From the first moment she met him, she had been truly impressed with his character. His brilliance and skill was well reputed, but it wasn’t his intelligence that struck her. It was his steadfast desire to help others. He genuinely cared for their welfare and thoroughly went out of his way to make sure his patients received the best from not just him, but from everyone associated with their care. It was a rare quality that immediately captured Harriet’s attention, and automatically put him as the frontrunner as her successor.

James had always been in Harriet’s good graces, but as he sojourned to her office, he couldn’t help but agonize over what was to come. He was well aware that he’d made a colossal mistake in impersonating Erickson; but he’d expected the man to confront _him_ , not run off and tattletale. James stopped in front of Harriet’s door and took a steadying breath. He decided he would just come clean with everything and hope that Harriet would cut him some slack, especially in light of the insanity of the circumstances. He gave a brief knock to the door and waited for a response. 

From behind the door, he heard, “Come in.”

He opened the door and found Harriet stationed behind her mahogany desk, her glasses just below the bridge of her nose. As their eyes met, she gave him a tight smile and motioned for him to take a seat. He moved forwards and finally noticed that Erickson was seated in one of the chairs. James sat down in the empty chair, ignoring the indignant looks Erickson was sending his way. 

“It’s good of you to join us, James,” she mildly reprimanded. 

James fidgeted, slightly nervous. “Sorry about that. I had some things to take care of at home.” Even though he was going to reveal all to Harriet, James realized that the best approach would be to wait for the appropriate time and not just blurt it out.

Harriet gave a brief nod in acknowledgement. Her brows furrowed together for a fleeting moment before her face became a mask of stoic professionalism. 

“James,” she began with a sigh, “I’m not quite certain where to begin, so I’ll just cut straight to it—do you have any plausible explanation for your behavior today? I’m confident you’re aware to what I’m referring.”

_Here it goes…_

“Yes…well, it may not seem plausible to _you_ , but if you just hear me out, I—“

“There is no plausible excuse for your ridiculous behavior!” Erickson interrupted. “You barge into my office, my sanctum of tranquility, and falsely represent yourself as a psychiatric professional. The mind is a fragile thing and—“

“David,” Harriet said, attempting to stop his rambling but he was oblivious. 

“—you could have done irreparable damage. And then, you—“

“David?” Harriet tried again.

“—break my pen! It was perhaps the most perfect pen I’ve ever used. And you—“

“David!” Harriet shouted, finally halting the man’s absurd rant.

“You’re the most asinine man I’ve ever met,” James muttered, rolling his eyes.

Harriet narrowed her eyes at him, though she happened to agree with James. She leaned forward as she reclaimed control of the situation.

“Gentlemen, I’m in charge here; and the only responses I want to hear are the ones to _my_ questions. Now, James—I believe you were saying something?”

“Yes. That man…I knew him.” 

David scoffed and Harriet furrowed her brow in confusion. 

“I don’t understand, James. If you knew him, th—“

“I didn’t _know_ him…I knew _of_ him,” James clarified, cutting her off. “He…Harriet…”

Harriet raised her eyebrows expectantly.

_Screw this…_

“Rose is alive,” James blurted out. “She was stranded on an island with David’s patient, Jack. I ran into him—purely by accident, mind you—and I…I lost my head. So, I pretended to be David so I could find out more about him and…well…that’s it honestly.” He felt oddly liberated after divulging everything.

Harriet just stared at him, her lips slightly parted. Erickson fidgeted slightly, careful to avoid eye contact with both of them. 

Harriet faintly shook her head as if to clear her mind, and then said, “James…I, um…I understand that things have been difficult for you these past few years. But I thought since Reinette—“

James mouth dropped open incredulously. “Wait…you think I’m making this up?”

Harriet’s expression softened as she continued. “I think that marrying Reinette…well, perhaps this sudden drastic change may be harder to adapt to than you anticipated. And that may account for your…unorthodox behavior.”

James’ chin jutted further. _She thinks I’ve lost it!_

“Harriet, I’m not insane,” he said, scooting towards the edge of his seat. “I’m telling you—Rose is alive! I’m not making this up! Ask David. His patient was with her!” James defended.

Erickson’s silence caused James to turn and examine the man. He was steadfastly refusing to acknowledge James’ pointed looks.

“Tell her, Erickson!” James demanded, completely disbelieving the man’s continued silence. 

Harriet continued to regard him, pity clearly evident in her eyes. She flicked her eyes over to the man. 

“David?”

He shifted in his seat as he addressed her. “Harriet, you’re aware that I am bound by doctor-patient confidentiality to remain silent about anything discussed during our session. All I can divulge is that I found Mr. Harkness completely sound of mind. Other than that, I’m required to remain silent. Besides, I have no interest in excusing James’ abhorrent behavior.”

“You godforsaken wanker!” James shouted, completely disregarding his surroundings. 

“James!” Harriet countered disapprovingly.

“No! This is unbelievable! I’m finally being completely forthcoming about this whole bloody situation and because he’s a pretentious _idiot_ , he refuses to admit—“

Erickson shot forward, but remained seated. “You broke my pen!”

“Oh for god’s sake!” James hollered and began searching through his jacket pocket. “Here’s a bloody pen!” he said, throwing it at his head. 

“That’s enough!” Harriet boomed, jolting upright from her chair. “James, I—“

Before she could continue, Sally opened the door, knocking as she did so. All three pairs of eyes instantly turned to bore into her. Sally gulped nervously under their scrutiny.

“Um…sorry, I ju-“

James’ eyes widened in sudden realization. “Sally! You saw Rose. Tell them she’s alive!”

“Uh, James…you really need to take this,” she said, holding his mobile up. 

He started to protest, but the look on Sally’s face caused him to reconsider. He walked towards her, taking the phone, and leaving the room. Sally followed after him. She had her hand on the door knob but turned back suddenly. 

“Oh, yeah…almost forgot—Rose’s alive. Cheers!” she said and closed the door quickly behind her. 

***

_“What do you mean ‘jail’?”_

Donna closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose, desperately hoping the gesture would release the building pressure in her head. 

“I mean _jail_. As in police. As in iron bars. As in get your bloody backside down there and _fix_ it!”

_“What happened? Why is Rose in jail?!”_

Donna pulled on her hair till she felt pain. “Because your bloody chav of a second wife and her lush of a sister came in here and started spewing their venom. She kept her cool ‘til they made Zoe cry, and then—“

_“They made Zo Zo cry?!”_

“Yeah, and then—“

_“What did they do?”_

She gave a prolonged exhale. She was one more interruption away from blowing her top. “They basically told her to shut it and scamper off. So, then Rose—“

_“You still haven’t said why Rose is in jail!”_

“If you’d _shut_ your _bloody gob_ and lemme speak more than two words, then you’d know why Rose is in jail! So _SHUT IT!!!_ ” Donna shrieked into the phone, finally breaking from the stress of everything. 

There was a silence on the other end of the line.

“Thanks…so, Zoe ran upstairs crying and Rose grabbed Reinette by the hair and jerked her around like a dog with a chew toy. Then, Reinette tried to fight back but obviously couldn’t keep up. Turns out Cassandra called the police. They hauled Rose away and when they went for Reinette, Cassandra freaked out and started swinging. Now, all three of them are in jail, I’m here with two very upset and confused little girls, and _you_ are doin’ _what_ , exactly?”

The words had barely left her mouth before James answered.

_“I’m getting my Rose back, that’s what!”_

***

It wasn’t hard for Jack to track down Rose. After all, he had both of their names, so he could look them up. Plus, Rose had mentioned her home more than once to him. He made a couple of phone calls, and quickly confirmed her address. He walked up the steps and rang the doorbell, waiting patiently for an answer. After a few moments, he rang the bell twice. He heard heavy footsteps, and suddenly the door flew open, revealing a fiery redhead with blazing eyes and a mobile clutched tightly in her hand.

“What?”

Jack turned on his megawatt smile that had always worked wonders. However, it didn’t work on the woman before him. She just continued to stare him down, glaring with such intensity that he was certain she could melt fire. Despite that, his smile remained.

“Hey there. I’m here to see Rose. She here?” he said, attempting to look behind the woman.

Her eyes flashed at the mention of Rose’s name. She opened her mouth to speak—or yell, more than likely—but a small figure bounded up next to her. 

“Who’s here?” she asked as she turned to look at him, her long blonde curls bouncing around her as she did. He instantly knew her to be one of Rose’s girls, though he wasn’t sure which one. 

“Hey cutie,” he said sweetly, winking at her. 

She giggled bashfully. The redhead was not pleased and moved the little girl behind her.

“Listen, I don’t know who you are, but—“

“Are ya gonna take Aunt NaNa to jail, too?” the small voice said.

Jack’s eyebrows rose questioningly. “Jail?”

The little blonde head bobbed around trying to look at him. “Yeah, Miss Tyler—“

“Sarah!” ‘Aunt NaNa’ warned, looking down out her. “Sweetheart…you and Zoe go watch a movie in the living room, ‘kay?” 

Sarah happily ran off without another word. ‘Aunt NaNa’ turned back to him, the fire in her eyes raging once again. 

“Like I said, I don’t know who you are and I don’t care. So take your flashy smile and pretty face and beat it.”

“You think I’m pretty?” he asked, grinning. She growled at him as she slammed the door in his face.

Even though this didn’t go the way he hoped for, Jack was undeterred. Thanks to Sarah, he knew where to look. He pulled out his cell, deciding to call in one of his multiple favors. The phone rang twice before a young woman answered and asked where to direct his call. 

“DI Yvonne Hartman, please.”

***

Rose sat on the cool bench, her elbows resting on her thighs as she held her head in her hands. She grimaced as the palm of her hand grazed the bruise to her temple. Reinette had managed to get a hit or two before Rose recovered from her initial shock. Fortunately, the police were wise enough to put her in a separate cell from Reinette and Cassandra. However, they were situated side by side, so insults were easily and frequently exchanged. It wasn’t long before words weren’t enough and they began to reach for each other through the bars. After twenty minutes, they finally stationed a guard directly in front of their cells. 

Rose was waiting patiently for James. She’d tried calling him, but he hadn’t answered. Despite that, she had every confidence he would show. She _knew_ him, and he wouldn’t let her down. A little over three hours later, she heard James’ voice. Rose ran her fingers through her hair trying to smooth the tangles. She stood, grimacing at the persistent but now dulling pain in her ankle, and went towards the front of her cell. Reinette also rushed to the front of her cell. But as James rounded the corner, he completely overlooked her, instead making eye contact with Rose and rushing towards her.

“Jamie?” Reinette squawked irritably. 

He ignored her, and instead focused his attention to Rose—more specifically, the marks on Rose’s face. He ghosted his fingertips over the bruise at her right temple, trailing his fingers down to the cut on her lip. Rose felt an electric shock cascade over her at his touch. His eyes began to darken with rage at her injuries. Seeing that, she grabbed his hand and squeezed gently, attempting to bring him back to the present. 

“Hey…’m alright,” she said reassuringly. “Promise.”

James smiled softly at her and closed his eyes, exhaling slowly. 

“Um, hello? Over here?” Cassandra whined.

On hearing the shrill voice, James’ eyes flew open and he whirled around, glowering at both her and Reinette. He marched over to their cell, his attention focused on Reinette.

“You yelled at my children? And you did _that_ to Rose?” he growled.

“Look at what she did to _me_ ,” she shouted and motioned to herself. 

James took in her appearance, and he had to hand it to Rose—she’d done a fair amount of damage. Reinette’s hair was knotted; there were several tears to her blouse, and a few ring marks to her face. He quickly glanced back to Rose who couldn’t help but proudly smirk. His face broke out in a mad grin. 

“God I love you, Rose Tyler.”

Reinette stomped forward and banged on the cell bars, startling him.

“ _I’m_ your wife, nimrod! And you cheat on _me_ with-with… _that_!” 

“’That’ is Rose. And _she_ is my wife—not you!” he growled. "I can't believe I allowed myself to be taken in by you!"

Reinette’s eyes widened before she snarled. “What?”

He rolled his eyes. “Look, I’ll prove it to you,” he said, waltzing over to Rose. He reached through the bars and grabbed her head, pulling her to him in a fierce snog. Though startled, Rose quickly became an active participant, reaching through the bars and pulling him closer. Before either of them could fully enjoy the kiss, the guard barked at them to knock it off. 

They broke apart quickly, James with a thorough pleased smirk and Rose’s eyes blissfully hazy after their brief interaction. 

“What did _that_ prove?” Reinette squealed.  

James shrugged. “Nothing. I just really wanted to snog her,” he said rather nonchalantly, eliciting a chuckle from Rose. 

“So you have been stepping out on my sister with this chav!” Cassandra sneered.

“God, you two are thick,” Rose grumbled. “Did you not listen when I said ‘my’ children? _I’m_ their mother. Which means…?” she trailed off, giving them the opportunity to put the pieces together. 

Reinette walked over and sunk down onto the cold metal bench. “Oh, my god…”

A smooth voice cut through the momentary silence. “Mind if I join the party?” 

All eyes turned toward the sudden voice—even the guard, who was thoroughly engrossed in the peculiar scene playing out before him. 

“Jack?” Rose questioned softly.

“Hey gorgeous,” he said with a saucy grin and a wink.

He answered the question forming on Rose’s lips. “I stopped by to check on you. The redhead guarding the door wouldn’t tell me anything, but your little girl asked if I was the police. Before I could ask any more questions, the redhead slammed the door in my face. But I called a friend of mine who’s a DI here and…well…here I am.”

James’ eyes blackened at Jack’s arrival and continued to do so as Jack spoke to Rose. “Yes, well, she’s fine…so you can leave now.”

Jack ignored him. Instead, he looked at each woman and smirked as his eyes finally landed on James. 

“Have a thing for blondes, eh Doc?”

“Who is he?” Reinette and Cassandra said in virtual unison.

Rose felt uneasy with the rising tension. There were too many sparks firing near this powder keg. “Jack, you-..."

“I thought I told you to back off,” James said, his voice low and ominous.

Jack stood his ground. “And I thought I made it clear I was coming for Rose.”

“No, you’re _not_ ,” James growled.

“Try and stop me.”

At that challenge, James swung his fist, making firm and direct contact with Jack’s chiseled jaw. Jack at once retaliated, his own fist cracking against James’ cheek. Reinette and Cassandra shrieked, while Rose shouted, pleading for them to stop. In an instant, five officers rushed onto the scene, breaking up the scuffle. Both men continued to antagonize each other as they were dragged away to a cell of their own.

Rose groaned as she sunk to the cell floor. She rested her forehead against her knees, hugging them close to her chest.

_Well…what now?_

 

 

 

 

 


	13. Chapter Thirteen

James stretched himself out on the cold metal bench, one arm pillowing his head while he used his free hand to massage his throbbing cheek. 

_Well, this could’ve gone just a tad bit better._

From the adjacent cell, he heard a very pronounced snigger. He raised himself up just enough to look over at Jack.

“What’s so funny?” he grumbled irritably. 

Jack stood and walked over to the dividing bars, threading his arms through them for support. “Gotta hand it to ya, Doc. You’ve got a heck of a right hook. Never woulda thought so just by looking at ya.”

“Trust me, I took it easy on you,” James growled as he settled his head back down against his forearm. 

Jack continued to stand there scrutinizing him intently. James could feel Jack’s analytical stare boring into him.

“What?” he snapped.

“Just trying to figure out what it is about you that Rose can’t seem to get over,” Jack said in a meditative tone.

A slow smile crept across James’ face at the mention of Rose. James also couldn’t help the smug feeling that settled over his entirety at knowing it was obvious Rose wanted him, and only him. Jack could ponder the situation all he liked; it didn’t matter if he understood why or not. 

“It can’t be looks. I mean, you’ve got that whole ‘brainy’ thing goin’ on and it definitely works for you—“ 

“You should see me with glasses,” James mumbled, flushing as he remembered Rose’s reaction every time he’d worn them in the past.

Jack continued, oblivious to James’ statement, “—but I’m…well, I’m _me_. So it can’t be that. Maybe… maybe it’s the hair. But then again, I have pretty great hair.”

“Let’s be clear on one thing—my hair is, and always will be, better than yours,” James said decidedly. 

Jack opened his mouth to begin his retort, but was instantly silenced by a sharp feminine voice.

“HARKNESS!”

Both men came to attention at the commanding voice. A blonde woman came charging around the corner, stopping directly in front of Jack’s cell. She leaned her body against the cell, her hands clenching the bars, her knuckles white with anger.

Jack had the good sense to appear uncomfortable at the woman’s arrival and attitude. James had no idea who she was, but her radiating fury was enough to put him on alert and refrain from asking questions at that moment.

Jack covered his uneasiness with a flashing smile. “Yvonne, I think you get more beauti—“

“Can it!” she snapped. “I pull strings to let you in here, and you have the audacity to get into a fight?! Do you realize my bum is on the line?”

A sly grin began to grow at her words. “And it’s such a nice b—“

“Don’t try that crap with me!” Yvonne spat, although under the surface she felt a slight tingle at Jack’s flirty nature. 

James raised his eyebrows at Jack’s incredulous behavior. “So you say you’re in love with my wife, but then you shamelessly flirt with _her_?” he questioned, pointing at Yvonne. 

Jack turned his sharpened gaze to James, ready to verbally spar, but Yvonne latched onto James’ words. 

“Wait…the ‘ _friend_ ’ you needed to bail out is _his_ wife?” she demanded, her tone bone chillingly fierce. “I did _not_ consent to helping you play home-wrecker, Harkness!”

“It’s not like that, Yvonne,” Jack insisted. “The Doc here—“

Yvonne held her hand up, halting his words. “Don’t care! I’m done. No more favors!”

“Uh, don’t I get a phone call?” James asked, finally breaching into the heated exchange. 

Yvonne finally turned and acknowledged his presence. “No. No phone calls. No visitors. No bail. No food. No water. No air. No—“

“Well now, that’s just ridiculous!” James scoffed at her tirade. 

“Again—don’t care! You two bloody gits brought this on yourself. You’re on your own. _ALL_ of you!” she fumed, and turned to leave.

“No, wait!” James cried out in a panic, causing Yvonne to stop in her tracks, yet not turning to look at him. “Our two little girls are with my sister. Can I please just call and let them know that Rose and I won’t be coming home tonight? I don’t want them thinking something happened to us…well, other than this.”

Yvonne finally turned, eyeing him carefully, weighing the odds of his statement. 

“Please?” James implored with desperate eyes. 

Yvonne began walking forward again, stopping just in front of their guard.

“Give him a bloody phone call,” she ordered before completely vanishing from sight.

****

“So let me see if I get this. Rose gets arrested—for fighting. So you go down there to bail her out, but end up gettin’ arrested yourself… _for fighting_! Am I missin’ something?!” Donna shrieked demandingly into the phone.

 _“No…That about covers it,”_ James sighed, too spent to verbally spar with her at the moment. 

“Well, that’s just flippin’ wizard!” she growled, suddenly lowering her voice as she remembered that small, inquisitive ears were present in the house with her. “What kind of daft bloody _idiot_ gets into a fight in a bloody police station?! You had one job to do—get Rose. How hard is that? ”

_“In my defense, I was provoked.”_

“Of course you were,” Donna patronized. “Lord knows you _never_ do anything stupid unless provoked. Someone _had_ to drive you to it. Becau—“

 _“Listen,”_ James said, cutting her off rather calmly, _“normally, I would love nothing more than to keep pointlessly arguing this with you, but I have a very small window of time to talk.”_

“Think ya can manage?” Donna snorted, the idea of James controlling his gob laughable. 

_“Think you can cut the snarky comebacks?”_ James countered, not missing a beat.

“Fair point,” she yielded, “So, you were saying?”

_“It’s slightly complicated, but the long and short of it is we’re stuck here—every single one of us.”_

Donna’s mouth hung slightly agape as she processed that unexpected news. “S-…so, what does that mean? What’s going to happen?”

_“All I know is that we go before a judge tomorrow morning…”_

Donna heard muffled voices in the background of the call with James voice becoming distant as he replied, _“Just two more minutes.”_

“James, what’s—“

_“Donna, I’ve gotta go. Tell--…”_

The last thing Donna heard was an “Oi!” before the call was unceremoniously ended. 

****

Sally arrived at James’ house around 7:30 A.M. Donna had called the night before, relaying the entirety of events, before begging her to watch the girls while she tried to help James and Rose. Sally rang the bell, and took a sip from her ridiculously large hazelnut cappuccino. Within a few seconds, Donna opened the door for her. As Sally stepped into the foyer, she took in Donna’s appearance. Her hair was up in a loose ponytail, and her eyes were tired, craving sleep. It was painfully obvious that she was exhausted; even that intrinsic fire within her was slightly dimmed. 

“Y’alright?” Sally asked softly, putting a concerned hand on Donna’s arm. 

She rubbed her forehead, squeezing her eyes shut at the dull pain in her head. “’M fine. I’m just related to a flippin’ moron, s’all. Uh, the girls are upstairs sleeping still. There’s no school today, so no need to worry ‘bout that bit. I’m not sure how long I’ll be, but I’ll keep you posted.”

“Sounds good,” Sally said, nodding her head in understanding. 

“Sorry to do this to you,” Donna apologized for the umpteenth time since last night. 

“Donna, seriously—stop apologizing. I want to help,” Sally assured her, smiling warmly. “So, go take care of things and I’ll watch the girlies.”

Donna gave a weak but genuine smile of thanks. Grabbing her keys, Donna gave her a quick hug and left to try and salvage the situation everyone found themselves in.

****

Henry Saunders was not amused, not in the slightest. He was in one of his rather cantankerous moods, and to add insult to injury, he _still_ was battling the same kidney stone. That blasted bit of calcium refused to take mercy on him, and as a result, he was likewise withholding mercy to those who approached his bench. 

He was in the process of opening up his third bottle of cranberry juice, when two familiar faces entered, joined by three unknowns, and caught his attention. He recognized the young doctor from Monday and the gratingly superficial blonde to whom he willingly chained himself. All of them looked worse for wear. The doctor had a bruised cheek and swollen lip. His wife had several scratch marks to her face and her clothes were torn; she looked as if she’d been locked in a closet with a psychotic raccoon. The other dark haired man had a swollen jaw and a cut at his eyebrow. One of the other blondes had a cut lip and a pronounced bruise at her temple; something about her caused the foul-moody judge to smile despite himself. The only one who didn’t have a mark on her was a stretched specimen of skin, who he immediately disliked. It was an interesting spectacle. The doctor and the nice looking blonde were grinning like loons at each other, while the other three shot them unseen looks with various intents. 

Though it was highly irregular, Saunders called the five of them to him. He waited till the clerk finished stating the essentials of the case.

He took a sip of his juice before he spoke. “So, Dr. Arden… didn’t expect to see you again. Or you,” he said, motioning to Reinette with his head. 

James quirked his lips into a half-smile. “Nice to see you again, your Honor.” 

He raised an eyebrow at them all. Despite his horrid mood, he decided to humor his curiosity. “So…who would like to go first?”

With that opening, all of them began clamoring over each other except for the ‘nice one,’ who had started to speak but quickly realized the uselessness of shouting over each other. 

“Alright! _Alright_!” he shouted, regaining control of the situation. “You,” he said, pointing to the ‘nice one,’ “I want to hear from you.”

“What would y’like to know, your Honor?” Rose asked with a smile.

A smiled tugged on his lips as he began, “First, who are you exactly?”

“Rose. Rose Arden. Used to be Tyler.”

Saunders furrowed his brow at the name. “That name… I know that name. How do I know that name?” He then recalled the looks she and the doctor had been giving each other and he suddenly remembered. “Aren’t you supposed to be dead?”

“That was the popular opinion,” Rose said with a small grin. “Fortunately, I was only temporarily misplaced.”

“Meaning?” Saunders asked gruffly as he had a flare of pain.

“During the storm… after the three of us were knocked over, Jack and I managed to latch onto some broken piece of Billy’s boat. We tried to reach ‘im, but…,” Rose’s eyes became glassy at that recollection, but she regained her composure and continued, “Anyway, we drifted and ended up on some island. We tried every day to get back home, but nothin’ worked. Then one day, this beacon-like thing we built was seen by some freighter that was off course. They found us and I was able to make my way back.”

Saunders was completely silent. For once, he had no biting retort or pointed question. He just sat there trying to process what had been related. 

Reinette decided to break the silence. “So you gallivanted with Slick over there? And you wonder why people think you’re a chav!” she spat with disdain.

Her harsh words instantly pulled Saunders out of his daze. Before he could reprimand Reinette, Rose spoke up. 

“Oi! You wanna go another round? Because I was just _barely_ gettin’ started.”

That statement was followed by a rather loud snort from the galley. Saunders honed in on its source—a ginger haired woman in the second row. When she realized that he was observing her with a critical and disapproving eye, she quickly covered her mouth and molded her expression into a serious one. 

“So Mrs. Arden, y—“

“You can just call me Rose, your Honor. If you’d like,” she offered. 

James looked between her and the judge, remembering the judge’s anger when he corrected him about his title. To his and everyone else’s surprise, the judge managed a small smile and continued, forgoing the tirade.

“Rose, you were on this island with this man?” he inquired as he pointed to Jack. 

Rose nodded her head slightly. “Yes, your Honor. And despite what certain creatures like to imply,” she said, pointedly glaring at Reinette and Cassandra who both scoffed in derision, “he is nothing more than a very dear friend who looked out for me.” She turned and smiled softly at Jack, silently sending him her gratitude. Jack returned the gesture. 

“Despite human nature, I actually find myself believing you, Rose. Now then, what in the world possessed you to do _that_?” he asked Rose, gesturing to Reinette’s injuries and appearance.

“Well, even though she’s a complete cow and pawed her grubby hands on my husband, it was because she shouted at my little girl and made her cry. I don’t care who she thinks she is— _no one_ treats my family that way, especially my children,” Rose said with fierce protectiveness, the gold in her eyes sparking with intensity. 

James couldn’t help but grin at the force of nature that was his Rose. He wanted nothing more than to snog the life out of her right then and there, but circumstances at the moment made it all but impossible. 

“And we’re definitely pressing charges,” Cassandra shrilled. 

“Oh, pipe down,” Saunders demanded. “And don’t speak again unless I tell you to. Now,” he said, focusing his attention to the two men, “I’m assuming you two had a disagreement over Rose here?”

James shifted uncomfortably as he recalled Jack’s attention towards Rose. “I guess you could call it that, your Honor.”

“Your Honor, if I may?” Jack asked, finally joining the conversation. 

“No,” he replied without hesitation. “It really makes no matter what you may want to say. The simple fact is, it boils down to these two,” he said pointing to James and Rose. “This whole thing started with you and that’s how it’s going to end. Now, Dr. Arden, you seem to have an excess of wives; so I’ll ask you first. Do you w—“

“I want Rose. Always,” James said immediately, not even caring if that might not have been the judge’s actual question.

A smile tugged on the corners of Saunders’ mouth. “And you, Rose?”

“I want my husband...I promised him forever. I won't settle for anythin' less,” Rose said, turning her eyes to meet James, both pairs of eyes brimming with intense love.

Saunders cleared his throat, reigning in the emotions he would vehemently deny he was feeling. “Well, then let’s not make this more complicated than it is. James and Reinette Arden—I hereby annul your absurd marriage. Miss…Adams, wasn’t it? Miss Adams. I’m dismissing the charges, and you and the other Miss Adams are free to leave. Preferably now.”

“What about her?” Cassandra inquired.

“Does this mean you’re dismissing _her_ charges as well?” Reinette demanded indignantly. 

All sets of eyes were focused intently on him. Saunders merely shrugged his shoulders. “Technically, Rose Arden is dead. Dead women can’t be charged with anything.”

“Don’t be stupid! She’s _obviously_ alive!” Reinette shouted angrily at him. 

“Ridiculous little man,” Cassandra muttered. 

His eyes turned cold and he glared at the two women. “One more word from either of you and I will personally escort you to a jail cell. Understand me?”

For some reason, possibly Divine Intervention, both harpies remained silent.

“So, now, I declare Rose Arden legally alive and well. That means you two are still legally married. Now, I don’t care if I’ve forgotten something. I’m done with this insanity. You all go home,” Saunders said with a crack of his gavel.

A brilliant smile immediately spread across James’ and Rose’s face, and she leapt at him, throwing her arms around his neck. They moved in to kiss, but were instantly startled by the sound of the gavel cracking again.

“Take that elsewhere,” Saunders grumbled. 

Both muttered their apologies and all parties exited the courtroom. Saunders leaned back in his chair and allowed a rare broad smile. 

For the first time in twenty-seven years, he _finally_ had an interesting case to tell his wife. 

****

Jack stood in the hallway and took a moment to watch James and Rose. They were completely engrossed in each other, unaware of the outside world. A small smile worked its way onto his face as he saw their interaction. It was impossible to deny that there was something special, something everlasting between them. He turned away and had only taken a couple of steps before he felt a soft hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Rose, her hazel eyes smiling warmly at him. She took a step forward and wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace, which Jack reciprocated. 

“Thank you, Jack,” she said, pulling back to look at him. “For everything.”

He smiled softly at her. “It was my privilege, Rosie.” He looked over to where she’d come from to see James being verbally attacked by the familiar redhead. He looked back at Rose,

“I never had a chance, did I?” he asked, finally realizing that fact for the first time. 

Rose shook her head but kept her eyes warm and affectionate. “I was a goner from the day I met ‘im. He’s…he’s it for me…always will be.”

“Well, he’s a lucky guy,” Jack said, his smile attempting to mask some of the sorrow he was feeling. 

“Chin up, ‘Adam,’” she grinned and playfully bumped his arm. “You’ll find your ‘Eve’… promise.” 

Jack chuckled, and Rose gave a small, chaste kiss to his cheek. He watched as she rejoined her family and walked away from him. 

Turning around, he was instantly met with the sight of Yvonne. And she was actually _smiling_ at him. Jack quirked an eyebrow at her unexpected appearance.

“Yvonne, what are you doing here? You’re not gonna shoot me are you?”

She chuckled at the half-joke. “Never going to let that one go are you?”

“It’s pretty unforgettable,” he said, grinning at her. 

“Well, you can relax. I’m off duty,” she said, smiling just a tad wider than before. She took in his body language. “You look like someone just stole your puppy.”

Jack’s smile faltered slightly and he shrugged his shoulders. “Not exactly. I just said goodbye to a good friend.”

Yvonne nodded, taking in his answer. “C’mon, Harkness. What do you say to us getting a drink? You know…as friends.”

Jack studied her for a moment before his grin returned. He extended his arm for her. “I say lead the way… _friend_.”

Yvonne smiled broadly at him and laced her arm through the offered opening. With a quick exchange in smiles, the two of them made their way through the crowd. 

****

Donna opened the door with James and Rose right behind her. Without a word, Donna trudged up the stairs to her waiting bed. James and Rose remained in the foyer, their hands intertwined. He took a few steps forward, but quickly realized Rose was remaining fixed in place. He turned to look at her, his eyes questioning. 

He didn’t even get to start his question before Rose spoke. “I, uh…I haven’t…I haven’t told Sarah and Zo Zo that…that I’m their mum,” she fumbled nervously. 

His eyes softened as he witnessed her anxiety. He lifted up his free hand and cupped her cheek, stroking it gently. “I know. But no time like the present, yeah?”

Tears pricked the back of her eyes, and she nodded. James pressed a small kiss to her lips, and the two of them walked towards the sound of their little girls. They went into the living room and saw Sally sitting cross-legged on the floor allowing the girls to use her hair and face as their personal canvas. All three pairs of eyes turned to look at James and Rose. 

Zoe and Sarah’s eyes widened in delight. Abandoning Sally, they ran and hurled themselves at them. James lifted Zoe up into his arms, hugging her to him tightly. Rose lowered herself to Sarah’s level and allowed the little girl to squeeze her small arms around her. Sally stood and walked over to them. 

“Have a nice time?” Sally teased. 

“Oh a blast,” James answered sarcastically, causing her to chuckle. “You have a little something there,” he said with a wide grin, circling her face with his finger. 

“That bad, huh?”

“You look like a bad clown,” he chortled. 

“Oi!” she huffed in mock offense, walking to the loo to wash her face. When she was finished, she made her goodbyes and promptly left. 

Zoe and Sarah had pulled Rose onto the floor eagerly showing her their drawings. Normally, Rose would be listening with rapt attention; but the task at hand was so daunting, she found it hard to think of anything else. She suddenly felt James’ hand intertwine with hers, squeezing softly. She looked up and met his warm dark eyes, and felt his added courage. 

“Are you our mummy?” Zoe said, her words instantly pulling Rose out of her hazy thoughts.

“What?” Rose asked, her voice barely above a whisper and racked with emotion. 

Zoe crawled over to the sofa and pulled out a book from underneath it. She crawled back over to them and Rose recognized the book. It was the book she’d stolen back from James all those years ago. 

“You girls were snooping in my office,” James said, though there was no trace of chastisement in his voice.

“No, we were _exploring_ …and then this one fell down and we found this…it has our names on it,” Zoe said, opening the book and pulling out a photo.

Rose reached out a shaky hand and took the picture from her. Rose remembered it immediately. It was the first photo James had taken when they brought the girls home. She was curled up on their bed, cradling the two infants close to her chest. In that instant, her emotions broke free and tears streamed steadily down her cheeks. Rose looked up to see Zoe and Sarah staring at her expectantly. 

Rose nodded her head in affirmation. “Yeah…yeah, I am,” she said through her tears. 

Their eyes lit up with excitement and wonder. “Really?” they asked in hopeful unison. 

“’S that okay?’ Rose asked through her tears.

The girls answered her by lunging at her, wrapping up in the tightest embrace their little arms could muster. Her eyes sought James, finding his to be shining with barely restrained tears. She gave him a wet smile as her girls continued to hold onto her.

A few tears broke through as he returned her smile. “It’s brilliant.”

****

Hours later, after the girls had finally gone to bed, James and Rose were curled up on the couch in the library. The fireplace had been lit and the flames cast a warm glow throughout the darkened room. They simply laid there in quiet contentment, relishing the fact that they were finally able to be with each other freely. Rose was curled into him, and his arms were wrapped lovingly around her. For the first time in three years, he was whole. He gazed down at her, drinking in her image. Realizing that something was lacking, he reached into his trouser pocket.

“I think you’re missing something,” he said softly.

She rolled over onto her back to face him properly, furrowing her brow in confusion. He opened his hand, revealing two gold bands. Rose looked back up to see that brilliant smile that she adored. She picked up his band, silently taking his hand and placing it on his waiting finger. He then took her band and did likewise, before joining their hands. 

“How long are you going to stay with me?” 

She looked up at him, her eyes full of limitless love and devotion, so much that he almost found it hard to breathe. 

“Forever.”

He leaned down, ghosting his lips over hers fleetingly before finally kissing her properly, conveying in no uncertain terms the extent of his passion and unwavering love for her.

In that moment, one thing was abundantly clear.

Rose was finally home.

 

 

 

 


End file.
